The Cellmates
by Kaze-Kami-Ha
Summary: X-23 is caught and locked in a cell with four other mutants before they manage to break out, leaving for the Xavier Institue. What effect will the new arrivials have, and what is the goal of the man who abducted them, Bolivar Trask?
1. Five Mutants in a Cell

She had no name

This was written on something of a lark. It only has one OC, the rest are from cannon Marvel. Can you name them?

I might continue this, but only if I get a good enough response.

0--0

She had no name. Only a designation: X-23. After the death of Viper and most of Hydra's personnel being either captured, killed or running deep underground she felt free. Liberated. At first she couldn't believe it. Before fleeing the wreckage of the downed control ship Viper used she checked her body twice over, even slit her throat along with Gauntlet's. She was free, living in the woods, hunting game as she claimed her territory, ruling it as she saw fit.

And then someone snuck up on her, her and her enhanced senses, and shot a tranquilliser dart in her butt. If it had happened to someone else, and she had been anyone else, it might have been funny. If the dart had been filled with a normal tranquilliser she could have shrugged it off in less than three minutes and been able to gut the person responsible.

Except whoever hunted her down knew she wasn't normal. She didn't know what hit her, only she was out cold before she could pop her claws out. She tried to stay silent as she came to, but a weak moan escaped her, her mind hazy from whatever had hit her.

"Hey, new girl's waking up." She heard as her eyes finally opened, turning her head to see that she was in a cell. The hint of mold and mildew assaulted her senses, the still sturdy stone walls a worn grey. Her wrists were chained together, but more importantly metal bands were on her upper forearms and ankles. An attempt to draw any of her claws gave nothing; the bands were too tight and prevented her muscles from unsheathing her claws. A moment later she sat up and looked about the cell to see four more people in there with her.

The most striking member of the group was a mutant with reptilian scaly green skin, short stubby spikes on his bald head arranged like a mohawk. He sat with his legs crossed next to a taller boy, near six feet by her estimation. He had dark brown hair tied back in a shoulder length pony-tail and a somewhat muscular build. Blue eyes looked at her, as he shook his head. Both boys seemed to be around fifteen or sixteen.

Sitting a little further away was a lanky blonde girl, her straight hair coming down to just past her shoulders as she thumbed a pair of tinted goggles in her hands. Her eyes were blue, but while the boy's was a near navy blue the girl's was closer to a sky blue. Lastly was a red-haired little girl with freckles dotting her face. Half of her hair was done up in a pigtail on the left side of her head, the rest hung loose as if she had lost or broken whatever tied it back. She had her arms wrapped about her knees, shivering slightly. The first girl seemed to be around fourteen and the second twelve or thirteen. All four wore what looked to be normal clothing except torn, worn and covered in dirt.

"Welcome to 'La Dungeon'." The reptile boy said with his voice void of humour. "If there is anything you require feel free to scream."

"Not that again..." The other boy groaned. "Come on Vic..."

"Someone has to keep the mood light." 'Vic' said. "Only thing that keeps us going."

"Whatever." The second sighed. "Anyhow..." He began looking at X-23. "Welcome to our little slice of hell. I'm James, that's Victor." He said pointing at the green boy who waved. "Abigail." He continued pointing to the blonde who waved. "And Theresa." He finished as the redhead turned to look at her. "How about you?"

"...I don't have a name." X-23 finally said, folding her legs underneath her.

"...Don't have a..." James began blinking. "Come on, everyone has a name! Parent's first gift to their kids."

"I don't have parents." X-23 muttered, looking away. "I'm just a... Just a clone. I'm not worth a name."

"Clone...?" Victor said as he scratched behind his ear. "Seriously? I mean..."

"I am serious! Leave me alone!"

"Uh, we're all kinda stuck in the same room." The blonde pointed out. "We're not gonna be alone. Or free..."

"Keep your panties on..." James sighed. "We'll get out of here." He said looking at the iron bars of the cell. "Somehow." He said before looking at her again. "So if you don't have a name, what do we call you?" He asked.

"Yeah." Victor added. "I mean you're uhh... Creators? They had to call you something."

"...X-23." She replied simply.

"Why twenty-three?" Abigail asked.

"Because the other twenty-two attempts didn't work." She sighed before glaring at the group. "Why do you even care?"

"Because we can't play I-Spy." Victor replied. "Only stuff around here is stone, bars, chains and us."

"And getting to know each other is the only pastime we have." James said. "Like we're all mutants for example. I have super-strength, Vic's a human... mutant... lizard... chameleon... thing. Abi makes cloud stuff and Tess... We dunno... All we got from her is her name. Hasn't said a peep since. What about you?"

Sighing X-23 leaned back against the cold stone wall. "Healing factor, enhanced senses and metal claws. I could cut these chains but these bands on my arms won't let me pop them out!"

"Know what ya mean." James replied, gesturing to the two, much larger shackles on his arms. "There things are rigged to electrocute me if my muscles tense too much. Use too much strength and ZAP! Very dramatic."

"I can turn sorta invisible." Victor said. "But I can't make these chains do that with me."

"I get shocked too." Abigail muttered. "If I make my clouds I mean." She said, wrapping the goggles around her head before pulling them down about her neck. "I could fly on them... Soar through the sky... So cool..."

"And her?" X-23 asked, gesturing to the youngest girl in the room.

"No clue." Victor supplied. "Like Big J said, she just don't like talking."

"Great..." The young weapon groaned. "Why are we here? Who's doing this? I was made to be a weapon; I could see why I'm here! Why are all of you?"

"Dart to the ass for starters." James replied. "Happened to each of us. As for why we are HERE all I can guess is the joker in charge of this outfit really hates mutants." Afterwards there was a silence.

"So..." Victor began. "Anyone up for rock-paper-scissors?" He ventured.

"NO!" James and Abigail replied quickly.

"What's rock-paper-scissors?" X-23 asked, causing the whole room to stare at her. "...What?"

0--0

"...Bored now." Abigail asked as she watched the two thousandth, eight hundredth and thirty second round of rock-paper-scissors, as played between a reptilian boy and a self-proclaimed clone. The reality was they hadn't had that many games.

But it felt like it by god.

Right now Theresa was curled up next to her, gripping her waist as she slept, snoring softly. James lay against the wall, asleep as well only without the noise. Meanwhile Victor looked to be somewhat distracted by the game, which was likely the point. And X-23 seemed to be having the time of her life, sarcasm included, judging by the barley visible smile. Then again from what little she knew the clone didn't get out much so this may have been the most fun she had ever had. Or the only fun.

"I win." The clone said a hint of a smile on her face. Victor let off a chuckle as he lay down.

"Yeah, ya did." He said with a sigh. "...Man, whatever they want with us I wish they'd hurry up and do it... If only for something to change around here." He groaned as the microscopic smile turned into a deep frown, the clone running a hand through her hair.

"How long have you guys been here?" She asked.

"Dunno, we don't have a clock." Victor said. "I got here first, maybe three weeks ago? Four? Abi came next at least a day after, and Tess a... week? Maybe? J got here awhile after her."

"And they haven't done anything to you?" X-23 ventured.

"Nope." Victor said with a shrug. "Just locked us in here with one-square meal a day."

"More like caged animals than people..." Abigail sighed before closing her eyes. A moment later her fellow cellmates followed her example, each one drifting to sleep.

0--0

The Xavier Institute for the Gifted had become some-what of a haven for it's occupants, a place where a mutant could be him or herself, use their powers within reasonable bounds and be safe from a world that largely misunderstood them. The above ground areas were quite impressive: a fabulous English style mansion with a massive well-kept yard and view of the ocean over a cliff.

Below the Xavier Institute for the Gifted, however, were many more things, all with one purpose: to safeguard and train mutants to use their powers for the good of all. Among which was a chamber housing Cerebro, a device developed and used by Charles Francis Xavier to locate mutants in need of guidance or assistance.

"Can't tis' bucket o' yours do any better Charles?" A red haired man with a goatee demanded as he paced about the room, a tinge of Irish accent in his voice. "We're no closer to findin' my baby girl!"

"Calm down a lil' Sean." Rahne replied as she took hold of the elder man's arm. "I know the Professor is doing all he can, no need ta make it harder by distractin' him." She said, her own voice holding a Scottish touch.

"She's right my love." An older woman, Moria, said as she set a hand on his shoulder, the Scottish touch in her own voice. "I love the child too, as if she were my own. But we cannot be makin' it harder on him."

"It's all right, all of you." Charles said as he leaned back slightly. Rahne's brief return wasn't greeted with as much glee as it should have been. She had come here along with her parent's friends, Sean Cassidy and Moria MacTaggert about Theresa Cassidy. Sean's daughter and Moria's step-daughter, a young girl Rahne had babysat for years. A girl that had been abducted. "Until she uses her powers I'm unable to get a fix on where she is. I'm doing what I can, but so far..."

"I understand." Moria sighed as the door opened, two men entering.

"Any luck?" The gruff Logan asked, suited up in his battle uniform.

"I'm afraid not." Xavier said as he turned his seat about, looking at the other man. "Colonel Fury? What brings you here?" He asked the man who chewed on a toothpick, one eye covered by a patch.

"Logan called me in, asked to help find you're missing girl." Fury said looking about. "So far I haven't had any luck, but I made an interesting discovery."

"Don't just stand there!" Sean called out. "Tell us man!" He added as Fury took out a folder.

"James Gemini, Victor Borkowski, Abigail Boylen, Theresa Cassidy. All abducted over the past month, and all have one thing in common: they're all mutants." He said passing out the folder. "We only got one good lead from all of this. We got a picture of a man who was tailing Boylen, a Tomas Clansey. Former S.H.I.E.L.D agent, defected when Trask was arrested."

"The same guy who made the Sentinels." Logan added.

"We set Trask in a lab during the Apocalypse affair." Fury continued. "After the last Sentinel rolled off the lot he vanished. Someone on the inside, don't know who, sprung him. We know Clansey helped design those things, so it's likely the two are working together, so we've been searching every abandoned military base, S.H.I.E.L.D outpost and hidden bunker they had knowledge of. We haven't found them yet, but one old base was disturbed recently."

"So we have nothing?" Rahne asked.

"Nothing yet." Logan replied, crossing his arms. "Just hold tight Furball. We'll find'em soon enough."

0--0

"No more please..." James groaned, setting a hand on his face. "Rock-paper-scissors is banned from this cell. At least for an hour." He groaned. "Please."

"Come on, what else is there to do?" Victor replied with a frown.

"Think of a way out. Figure out why these guys want us. What our families are doing." James ticked off. "Something other than drive me crazy."

"Yeah, righ--" Victor began as the a steel door opened beyond the iron bars. "Uh oh..." He said, looking at the man in a man immaculate military uniform walked in, half a dozen armed guards behind him. His brown hair was in a buzz cut, greying slightly on the sides. A moustache adorned his face as he looked over the five mutants.

"Trask." X-23 muttered to herself, so softly no one heard it. Hydra may have given her no comforts, love or even remorse but if there was one thing she could thank then for it was all the logistics, tactics and knowledge they jammed into her head. Bolivar Trask, she remembered him from his dossier. Human, no powers, an expert in anthropology and a noted cyberneticist, and generally regarded as the man who 'outed' mutants. Arrested after deploying his anti-mutant robot, the Sentinel. Anything that happened after her defection from Hydra was unknown to her. It was safe to assume he was well trained in both hand to hand combat and weaponry since he was a former Colonel in S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Let me guess..." James began. "You're the joker than got us put in here."

"Something like that." The man muttered. "Thank you for volunteering Mr. Gemini. You'll do wonderfully for our experiments."

"Experiments?" Victor gulped as a guard opened the door, his team mates aiming their weapons at the occupants.

"Come along now." Bolivar said as James stood up. "Let's not make this any harder than it has to be."

"Whatever." James said as he stepped over, two guards grabbing his arms as they led him away, the cell door closing behind them. A moment later the group had left with the mutant.

"No..." A tiny voice said, as the remaining eyes moved to look at Theresa. "Please... no..."

0--0

"So let me guess..." James said as he looked at the straps holding him to the operation table. "You've got some odd world domination scheme and have been reading up on the 'Evil Overlord's' list, huh?"

"Quiet you." Trask said as he glared at the mutant scum on the table. God how he was going to enjoy experimenting on this mutant. "You two." He said, pointing to the guards in the room. "Wait outside." He added as the two saluted before going out the door, closing it behind them. "In a few moments I will test the serum. What a novel way of controlling the mutant population." He mused as he turned to look over his desk, looking over the vials. Picking one up he began to heat it over a burner. "Those cuffs are the same as the ones before, they'll shock you if you resist."

"Thank you Villain of the Month." James quipped as he bit his lower lip. 'Okay, if I'm right... God I hope I am right, and then this dude thinks I only have super-strength. So if I'm lucky...' He mused focusing slightly. He felt his body shift, waist slimming as hips flared, his height decreasing as his entire body shifted it's gender, transforming from a tall boy to a shorter and slimmer girl whose wrists were too slim for the cuffs. Grinning he, now she, freed his limbs, getting off the table and on his feet as he shifted back to his true gender, cracking his knuckles.

"Almost ready..." Trask mused as he poured something into the vial, a hand tapping his shoulder. "You just wait on the table I'll be... I'll be..." He began, stiffening as he turned around, a fist smashing into his face sending him crashing onto the table, vials spilling everywhere.

0--0

"You hear that?" One guard asked a crashing sound in the room behind him.

"Yeah. Maybe he dropped something." The second said as a knock sounded on the door behind him. "What the?" He said as the knock sounded again. He turned to look at his comrade who looked back at him. Then he did what anyone did when someone knocked on the door.

They opened it. Before they could blink both their heads were grabbed and slammed into each other, sending them into unconsciousness. "That was easy enough." James mused as he dragged the men into the room. On a whim he strode up to a computer and grabbed the top, ripping it open. Reaching in he grabbed what looked to be a hard drive and pulled it out, shoving it in his pocket. "Don't know what he was doing, but this might tell someone. If I can get it out of here..." He mused before leaving the room, closing it as he started to backtrack his way to the cells.

0--0

"This sucks..." Victor said. "This sucks... This sucks... **This sucks... This Sucks... This Sucks...**"

"Yes Vic." Abigail sighed. "We heard you the first time."

"**This Sucks, This Sucks, THIS SUCKS!!**" He cried out as he stood up. "**MAKE SOMETHING GOOD HAPPEN!!**"

"Like that'll happen." X-23 snorted. Then she heard something, coming outside the door. Something like fighting.

"What's with you?" Abigail asked as X-23 stood up, moving closer to the bar.

"I hear something." She said. "Something like--" She began before being cut off as a guards body slammed into the door, breaking the hinges as both fell to the ground.

"Hey there!" James said as he walked in, keys in hand. "Someone order a jailbreak?"

"How did you...? Nevermind!" Victor said as the group stood up as he opened the door, quickly undoing X-23's handcuffs. "You rule man!"

"Thank me, Lady Luck, and my Uncle sending me to kickboxing classes." James replied as me moved to Victor.

0--0

"Clear, come on." X-23 said as she led the other down the hall. Abigail held on to Theresa's hand as they rushed down to the door. Opening it a crack the clone peered into the garage, James looking over her head.

"Well?" James whispered as X-23 sniffed the air. "You got the senses. What they telling you?"

"Someone's here, but I don't know wh--" She began, being cut off as the door was opened by a guard.

"Intruders!" He cried out before James could slam a fist in his face, sending him to the floor.

"Think anyone heard?' Victor asked after a moment.

He was quickly answered by sirens. "Yup." James muttered. "There anything we can drive?" He said as they went into the room, looking about. Blinking he sighed. "Nevermind." He added, looking at the lack of vehicles.

"Dump of a base, no wheels..." Victor said shaking his head, looking at the junk around them. "Must be a low budget place."

"Freeze!" A guard said as he aimed at the five mutants, two more coming behind them. Thinking quickly James grabbed a nearby tire and threw it like a discus at the trio, catching the first in the chest and sending all three to the floor.

"Run for it!" He called out, rushing towards the door, his cellmates following him as they ran at the door. Not even bothering with the handle he rammed the door, his strength tearing off the hinges before he heard a number of guns being raised, slowing to a stop, his friends stopping behind him.

"This... Is bad..." Victor summed up, glaring at the three dozen guards aiming weapons at them, a man in a trench coat nearby, his blonde hair in a buzz cut as he flexed his muscles.

"Silly mutants..." The man chided. "You thought you could escape?" He mocked as the youngest of the group began to sob. "You will be punished for your insolence you fools."

"Stop..." Theresa sobbed out. "Stop it..."

"Stop?" The man scoffed. "It's only starting."

"Stop it, stop it..." The girl sobbed. "STOP ITTTTTT!!" She screamed, an unexpected sonic blast erupting from her mouth, slamming into the guards.

"MY EARS!" Several guards cried out, as they clutched their heads, trying to block the sonic scream as all of them, even the trench coat solider fell to the ground, blacking out.

"Loud..." Victor said as he rubbed his ears. "I almost went deaf..."

"WHAT!?" X-23 cried out, rubbing at her sensitive ears. "I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" She cried out as Theresa collapsed.

"Abi, can you carry her?" James asked as he picked her up, the other girl nodding as he set her on her back. A moment later a small cloud appeared at her feet, lifting her into the air. "Come on, let's make a break for it before they send more people after us."

"OKAY!" X-23 said.

"And keep it down!"

0--0

"I've got her!" Xavier cried out, gathering the gathered people's attentions. "She's outside of Allentown, Pennsylvania!"

"That's a little over fifty miles out!" Fury stated. "There's an old bunker there, Second World War era! If I was Trask, I'd be there!"

"Then what are we waiting for!" Rahne cried out.

"You stay here Furball, we got this covered." Logan said as he moved to the door.

"But..." Rahne managed.

"No, take her and Sean with you." Xavier said. "Theresa will recognize them, it will calm her down."

"Fine, but no time to change! Just move!" Logan called out.

"They can be there in twenty minutes!" Fury said as the three mutants poured out of the room. "My men will be right behind them!"

0--0

"They're behind us!' X-23 called out as the group ran (Or flew in the case of Abigail) through the forest, a dart whizzing by Victor's head before slamming into a tree.

"You noticed?" He called back.

"X, pop the claws and slice some timber!" James called out. "See if we can slow'em down a bit!" He called out as the cloned girl extended her claws, revelling in their freedom before slashing at a tree, making it fall behind them as they ran past, repeating the action a few more times as they ran. "Good, now... Crap..." He called out as a helicopter appeared over their heads.

"Hold it right there!" A voice called out from the speakers of the craft.

"How much of that cloud stuff can you make?" James asked Abigail.

"I don't know!" She replied.

"Make as much as you can, fog it up!" He called out as the girl lifted a hand, clouds covering them.

"I said hold it!" The voice repeated as they began to run again, the helicopter lowering to blow away the clouds. "Damn it..." The pilot said as he looked about. "Lost'em."

0--0

"Nice thinking Big J!" Victor called out as they continued to run.

"Don't thank me... yet..." He said as the slowed down, a line of soldiers in front of them. "Not again..."

"Gets worse." X-23 said as she turned about, facing the ones circling around them. Abigail gulped, lowering herself down as Victor, James and X-23 formed a loose circle around her and Theresa.

"Now what do we do?" Abigail cried out.

"I'm open to suggestions." James replied as the helicopter appeared overhead. "Have any?"

"I'm not going down without a fight!" X-23 cried out, all of her claws coming out to bare.

"Same here." Victor said, slamming a fist into his palm.

"Right." James added. "We hold'em as long as we can while Abi makes a break for it."

"But..." Abigail began.

"You have to get her out of here." James hissed back. "Once it starts up fly off and don't look back."

"But I..." Abigail gasped as tears came to her eyes.

"On three..." James said, brining his fists up, the guards creeping forwards slighting.

"One..." X-23 began.

"Two..." Victor added crouching down and preparing to pounce before a red beam struck the copter's tail rotor. "What the...?" He let out as a flying man dove at them, screaming as he sent sonic waves out at the guards knocking a few away.

"THREE!" James called out, rushing a guard and slamming an elbow into his gut. Victor returned his attention to the guards, sending his tongue out, the prehensile appendage grabbing a gun that he pulled away, X-23 already slashing at guard after guard. "GO ABI! GO!" James shouted as several guards tackled him, the girl finally regaining her wits and flying off just as James began to throw the offending soldiers off of him. Before he could blink a fuzzy blue... spider monkey maybe, appeared next to him in a puff of smoke grabbing two guards and vanishing with them in the same manner.

Before he knew it other guards were being struck with a ruby light or being flung away as if an invisible person tossed them away.

"You!?" X-23 cried out as feral looking man tackled another guard, claws coming out of his hands as an honest-to-god werewolf snarled and slammed into another man.

"Don't ask!" The feral man said. "Go! That way!" He said, pointing in a direction.

"Works for me!" James said as he turned to face Victor. "Vic, let's book!" He called out before running off, Victor slamming a fist into a man's face before giving chase. X-23 looked at the man a moment more before running off to a clearing. The three quickly found a jet there as a man with a visor joined them, followed by a redhead in a black and green outfit and the spider monkey from before. As they reached the jet the feral man and the werewolf caught up with them, ushering them aboard, Abigail and Theresa already seated.

"Beast, make this thing fly!" Logan said as the screaming man flew into the jet, closing the door as what appeared to be a big, blue, furry, ape manned the controls.

"If all are aboard, then away we go." 'Beast' said as the engines, the plane lifting from the ground and taking away, the red haired screaming man moving to sit next to Theresa.

"What are you doing here Wolverine?" X-23 demanded as she began to walk to the feral man, James reaching out to grab her arm.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down X." He said. "You know this guy?"

"Yes!" She replied. "I'm his clone!" She stated causing him to blink.

"So... Shiny metal claws are a family trait?" Victor piped up.

"Look kid, we didn't know you were there." Wolverine sighed. "Banshee's girl..." He began, pointing a thumb at the screaming man. "Went missing so he asked us for help. Kinda figured the others might be there, seeing as they're all abducted mutants too. But until she used her powers Cerebro couldn't find her."

"Yeah, that's why she's kinda out of it." Victor said. "She bowled down a whole squad o' them bozos."

"At me girl..." Banshee said with a chuckle as his daughter squirmed in her seat.

"Look..." Wolverine continued. "We're going back to the institute. Xavier's going to want to talk to the lot of you, see if you're willing to stay. Might be safer too."

"Indeed." Beast piped up. "Trask's men may try to come after you again if you return home."

"I... I can't go home?" Abigail said, gulping slightly.

"No, you could..." The red haired girl in the black and green costume said as she turned to look at the blonde. "But Logan's right. It would probably be safer, but it's your choice in the end."

"You can figure it out later." Logan said as he moved to sit down. "We'll be there soon enough."

"Sure, but one question." James began, pointing at the blue fuzzy person with the tail. "What's with the spider monkey?"

"SPIDER MONKEY!?" The fuzzy person cried back, a hint of German in his voice. "I AM NOT A SPIDER MONKEY!"

"Well, at least you didn't get called a demon again." Beast chuckled.

"Aren't demons red with horns and pitchforks?" Victor asked.

"No, demons are the Teletubbies." Abigail replied as the 'spider monkey fumed in his seat.

"What's a Teletubby?" X-23 asked.

"DON'T ASK!" Came a universal reply from everyone else in the plane.

"...Make the plane go faster.." She muttered. So much for her freedom in the wilderness.

0--0

Notes: Abigail was never given a last name, all we know is it starts with a 'B'. (Edit: It was recently revealed to be Boylen)

Can you give the code names for Abigail, Victor and Theresa?


	2. Adoption

If you haven't figured it out, James Gemini is my OC

Shout Outs...

j.d.: Well, here's more.

Blue-Eyes White Knight-BEWK: Here ya go.

To Everyone: If you haven't figured it out, James Gemini is my OC. Abigail is Cloud Nine from The Avengers: Initiative, Victor is Anole from New X-Men and Theresa is Siryn from several X-Titles.

Reviews are always appreciated, even if it's to point out a flaw.

0--0

"Before anything else, I would like to welcome you all to the Institute." Xavier said, seated behind his desk, Logan flanking him as he looked over the new arrivals, each of whom had showered and received a change of clothing, save X-23 who opted to stay in her usual uniform. James had borrowed from Scott and seemed uncomfortable in his sweater while Victor seemed fine with Bobby's clothing on his back. Abigail and Theresa wore one of Kitty's usual outfits, and even that hung loosely on the younger girl. "I'm sure you all have questions, but first I'd like to mention that your parents or guardians have been contacted. I've discussed with them of the possibility of enrolling you all here, you can talk to them once we're done here about that. Is there anything you need to know?"

"Why am I here?" X-23 demanded stepping forward. "I just want to be left alone!"

"Settle X, settle..." James said soothingly, setting a hand on her shoulder, feeling her tense up at the contact. "We might have ended up back in that cell if they didn't find us when they did."

"Hey, I ain't arguing with the man." Victor piped in. "I mean I was stuck in that place way too long! Rather be in the Artic than back there."

"Whatever..." X-23 replied. "When we're done here, I'm leaving."

"Leaving?" Abigail. "But..."

"Kid, hold on a minute..." Logan began.

"I am not a kid!" X-23 bellowed back.

"Please, calm down, all of you!" Xavier insisted. "X-23, please listen to me." He began. "I can't force you to stay here against your will. You've been through enough, that's why I want you to stay. Learn to develop normally, regain some of your lost childhood."

"I am not a child!" X-23 angrily replied, her left claws popping out, her fellow new arrivals backing away from her slightly.

"No." Xavier agreed. "You are a young woman, a growing young woman who has a lot to offer, not as a weapon but as a person. I want to provide that opportunity. The opportunity to be the person you want to be."

"...Why?" X-23 asked as she pulled her claws back into her arm.

"It's my purpose, to help my fellow mutants. To make humanity understand we are nothing to fear." He replied. "To help people like you adjust to normal society. I can help, but only if you're willing to be helped."

"I don't want help!" She replied, crossing her arms with a huff.

"Well, you wanna get back at these Hydra guys, right?" James asked, scratching at his ear. "Isn't the old saying 'Living well is the best revenge?'" He asked as X-23 turned her head away pondering for a moment.

"...Fine." She relented, uncrossing her arms. "...But don't expect me to stay long."

"I hope to change your mind on that opinion." Xavier replied. "Theresa, your parents are waiting in the common room. The rest of you may call your parents and make whatever arrangements needed, either to move in or return home. I will provide transportation for you or your belongings based on your decisions."

0--0

'_Dear Diary...' _Kitty wrote into her book, sitting on a bench outside. _'It's been a couple of days since the new arrivals moved in. I didn't think this place could get any more crowded, but here we are. It's kinda sad what happened to them, but I'm glad they got out. And they're an interesting bunch too..._

_James is a bit of a hunk, but he's got super-strength so that's a given. He's gotta have muscles if that's his power. Well it's not his only power. I heard when the Professor asked how they got out of the place he said he could turn into a girl. That is seriously weird! He didn't want to talk about it at first; I guess he's embarrassed about it. I know I would be if I turned into a guy. Anyway he said his girl form looses all the power and gets speed in return. I haven't seen him change yet. Rouge doesn't seem to like him, but I think that's because Mystique turned her off to any kind of shape-shifter. He seems like a nice enough guy._

_Then there's Victor. He said he kinda turned into what he is slowly. He's like some kind of lizard guy. Says a classmate calls him Anole, which is a name of some kind lizard apparently. He seems to kid around a bit like Kurt, only not as much. Which is good, we don't need another prankster around here. He's kinda freaky looking, but with Kurt and Mr. McCoy here I've kinda gotten used to that sorta thing. He's kinda cute, when you get past the scales. He and James got roomed together, but they seem to be pals so that's cool._

_Then we got Abigail, or Abi. She is... Well... FLATCHESTED! It's not like I'm being mean or anything, but she is flat as a board! I mean I know I'm not a Vouge model or anything, but next to her I might as well be. And she wears these clunky looking skier goggles too! She's cool though, she mostly just flies around in the backyard on her cloud stuffs. She seems a little bummed out too, but rooming with X-23 will do that to ya I think._

_I don't know what to make of her, X-23 I mean. She mopped the floor with ALL of us! I mean the only guy she didn't knock out was Mr. Logan! Okay, things would be different if she hadn't sneaked up on us, but still she is like a total bad-ass! And she's not really trying to be nice. She sometimes hangs out with the other new guys, and she at least seems to listen to James, but still... And she doesn't know anything! Well, not like anything, those guys who made her taught her lots of stuff, but she didn't even know what a pizza was! The Professor had some brought over for the new guys yesterday, make them feel at home. She stared at it like it was some kinda alien before Mr. Logan told her to eat._

_Well I can say one thing about her. She loves deluxe pizza._

_Last one is Theresa. Rahne used to baby-sit her apparently and she is so adorable! Real shy too. And cute. She got these two little pigtails that make her look so sweet! She hugged her father for so long before he left, telling her he'd call often. She doesn't talk much, but I think it's because she's shy, she'll warm up. She already likes Kurt. Rahne says she thinks he's like a big teddy bear! _

_Speaking of Rahne, she's finally been allowed to stay here again! That's so cool! Now if we could only get Jubilee back. I miss mall-crawling with her._

_You know, I wonder what they're up to right now?_

0--0

"All right you guys." Scott said as he and Jean entered the room James and Victor shared, both boys and the other new arrivals littered around the room, X-23 leaning against a wall, the boys on one of the beds, Theresa in a chair and Abigail sitting on one of her clouds. "Ready to hit the mall for some duds?"

"Just hold on a bit." James said. "Sandra?"

"Maria?" Victor ventured.

"No and no." X-23 replied curtly.

"Alyssa?"

"Allie?"

"No and again, no."

"What are you guys doing...?" Jean asked, tucking a red lock of hair behind her ear.

"We're trying to get X-23 to get herself a name. A real one." Abigail sighed as the boys continued to spout out names. "She hasn't heard one she likes yet. Which sucks."

"Serenity?" Victor asked.

"Dude, does she LOOK serene to you?" James replied.

"Good point."

"Look, I don't need a name." X-23 insisted.

"Except for the fact that people are going to look at you all weird when you go 'Hi, my designation is X-23.'" James replied. "Come on, just something to use to not attract attention."

"Like Mary Susan." Victor pointed out.

"That just sounds... Perfectish." James replied.

"Is that even a word?" Abigail asked.

"Is now." James shrugged.

"God, why is it so hard to give a girl a name!" Victor cried out.

"Guys, settle down!" Scott called out. "X, do you have any ideas? Just so we can all go to the mall, if nothing else." He asked as the clone sighed, a memory nagging at her.

0--0

_Dr. Risman set a hand on her shoulder as she limped back to her desolate white room, shivering from her cold and wet body. She had failed the sandbag practise she was given, and after a verbal reprimand was sent back to her cell of a living space. She gulped down the fear that she wasn't supposed to have, a living weapon could have no fear they said._

"_I know..." Deborah Risman, her creator, said so softly only she could hear it. "Be strong... My little... Laura..." She ended the sound of her voice barley audible by her own senses._

0--0

"La...Laura..." X-23 began, rubbing at her chin. "I think Dr. Risman called me Laura once..."

"Good a name as any." James shrugged.

"I think it's quite fitting myself." Jean replied. "Do you want to use it?" She asked.

"...I suppose..." The newly dubbed Laura said as she sighed.

0--0

"Why are we going to this place again?" Laura asked James, the two in the backseat as Jean drove the van to the mall, Victor in the front seat playing with his new wrist watch disguised image inducer. Behind them Scott drove his red sports car, Abigail and Theresa riding with him.

"Okay, it's like this." James began. "Me and the others are getting our stuff shipped over, but you ain't got squat. To make us feel all at home and cozy they're getting us clothes and stuff. Most of the clothes will be yours, since all ya got is that admittedly hot leather deal you have on."

"...Hot?" Laura questioned.

"Never mind." James replied.

"Whatever." Laura huffed, turning her head to face the window. "I'm not staying long you know."

"Well you'll still have more stuff than you got here with."

"And besides." Victor piped up, the image inducer disgusting him as a tanned youth with a spiky hairdo. "The Professor is footing the bill, not you."

"Pretty much." Jean added. "And Laura, please give the institute an honest try. You might like it."

"I doubt it." The clone snorted, her arms crossed.

0--0

"What about this?" Abigail said as she held up a shirt as the group looked about the store.

"We're done getting clothes for you." Scott said sternly. "We need to get more for Laura."

"It IS for Laura." Abigail insisted.

"I don't think pink is her colour." Victor replied. "Even with the slogan." He added, pointing to the words on the shirt that stated 'It's not pink. It's lightish red.'

"She's more of a dark clothes kinda girl ya know?" James added. "In my opinion anyways. Maybe some jeans."

"Leather..." Theresa added softly.

"Yeah..." James replied. "She'd look good in that."

"No..." Theresa said, shaking her head. "Look..." She added, pointing to where the clone had stepped out of the changing rooms, causing all heads to turn and look.

"Uhh... Not what I expected..." James muttered.

"Guess the folks who made her didn't say anything about modesty..." Abigail added as they stared at her current outfit, a maroon leather mini-skirt with small slits on the sides, a studded belt with a large buckle on the front. Her torso was clad in a matching leather corset, tied at the front with shoulder straps. Black biker boots were fitted on her feet as well as a pair of leather fingerless maroon gloves.

"Does this look okay?" The clone ventured inquisitively.

"It's... nice... even if it's a little skimpy." James said.

"Logan will have a heart attack if you wear that!" Jean declared looking her over as a grin appeared on Laura's face.

"I'll take it." Laura replied.

0--0

"What's weirder?" James asked Victor as they sat on a bench outside the Victoria's Secret store, Scott sitting next to James. "That she wore the outfit out of the store, that she picked it in the first place, or the fact that a female clone of some dude has nice legs and I'm checking them out?"

"All the above?" Victor replied.

"Come on you guys cut it out." Scott replied.

"Hey! Just admiring." James shrugged, smiling slightly. "What about you Viccy, see anything you like?"

"Uhhh, they're all cute girls, I guess." He replied, scratching behind his ear slightly. "But, uhh, ya know... Nothing strikes my fancy or nothing."

"Really?" James said as Scott sighed. "I'd thought you and Abi woulda hit somethin' off."

"She's... not my type." Victor replied. "Nice cute gal, don't get me wrong, just not my type." He added as James leaned towards Scott.

"Is he gay or something?" James whispered.

"Knock it off!" Scott hissed back. "And wouldn't you know, being as you trapped with him for a week or so?"

"Not like I asked." James replied shrugging slightly as the girls exited the store. "Let's just hope Laura didn't get any g-strings as it is, or Logan is gonna have a stroke to go along with his heart attack."

"That's why I got two." Laura replied as the girls carried a few bags out.

"Oh right... Good hearing..." James sighed as the boys stood up. "Poor Logan... I knew ye... For about a couple days or so..."

0--0

"It's a burger X..." James said, dipping a chicken finger into dipping sauce as they took a break at food court. "You bite it, not the other way around." He said as the clone looked over her hamburger as if examining it.

"So what do you think about all of this, Terry?" Abigail asked the younger girl who munched on her fries slowly.

"I'm not really sure..." She said softly. "But the Mansion is... Nice..."

"Wow, that's the most I ever heard come outta her mouth." Victor mused as Laura tentatively began to eat her hamburger. After taking a bite her eyes seem to brighten slightly before she began to eat with more gusto.

"We have a winner." James muttered as he shook his head. "So what's next after we eat?"

0--0

"What's the point of these things?" Laura asked as she looked over the necklaces in the jewellery store.

"It adds to your look." Jean replied simply. "See anything you like?" She asked as the clone's eyes rested on a black leather collar with a silver cross hanging from it.

"I'm just glad I found a little diddy like my last one." James said to Victor, looking in a mirror at a gold ring with a ruby in it hanging from his left ear. "I miss that old thing... My kickboxing sensei gave it to be the first time I beat him in a spar."

"Ouch, that sucks..." Victor replied. "That you lost it I mean. What happened to it?"

"Those dorks musta taken it out." James replied with a sigh, referring to the men who abducted them. A moment later he looked over to Laura who had placed the collar on, as well as an additional necklace with a silver cross on it, four other crosses flanking it. "Looking sharp Laurie!" He called out.

"See." Jean replied with a smile. "It does add to the look."

"I guess." She replied with a shrug.

"And I thought we were only getting things for the girls." Scott sighed, shaking his head as he walked over, noting the earring in James' ear.

"Just replacing something I lost." James replied. "Say, where's Cloudy?"

"Abigail you mean?" Scott replied, looking about. "She was with me a moment ago." He replied looking about.

"There she... Uh oh..." Victor began.

"What d'ya mean... Uh oh..." James agreed as the saw a tall brunette girl shove the petite blonde back a few steps, a black-haired girl with her. "Excuse me while I take care o' this." He said ambling over to two female bullies. "Okay, party is over, leave her alone now." He said simply, waving his hand dismissively.

"Who do you think you are?" The brunette said with a snotty tone, looking him over as Abigail stepped behind him.

"Better than you for starters." James replied, crossing his arms. "Now get! Don't you have a street corner to be on?"

"What did you just say to me boy!?" The brunette shrieked slightly as a blonde-haired man turned his head to look at the confrontation.

"Okay, since you need it repeated I'll say it slower..." James mocked. "Go... Back... To... Your... Street... Corner... Find... John... Spread..."

"I am not a... You god damned..." The brunette stuttered as the blonde guy snorted, stomping over to them.

"Uh, oh..." Victor began. "Jock at two o' clock..." He muttered to Scott as the other girls moved to join them.

"What's this?" Jean asked.

"Girls picking on Abi." Victor began. "James picks on girls. Jock gonna try and pick on him."

"Come on, we should stop this." Jean hissed to Scott.

"Wait..." He replied. "Let's see how he handles this."

"Who do you think you are punk!?" The blonde Jock yelled at James as he moved over to the brunette, wrapping an arm about her waist.

"I'd say 'Better than you', but that goes without saying." James replied with a grin. "So, how much you pay for her?" He asked, Abigail wincing as the jock, who easily stood six inches taller than James towered above him menacingly.

"Think your funny punk?" He said, staring down at him. "See how funny you are after I kick your ass."

"Hmm... Let me think here..." James mused. "You think... You can beat me? In a fight?"

"I'm Bayville High's Quarterback!" He declared. "Frank Winston! And I'll teach you to respect me punk!"

"Like I care." James snorted. "That's your only qualification?" He mocked. "Let me explain this to you, I posses a black belt in kickboxing. I posses another black belt in capoeria. I can think, off the top of my head, nine ways to really hurt you right this minute. I've taken on guys your size and left without a scratch. But since I'm such a nice guy, you can get the first hit for free. Cause then AFTER I've whooped your ass I can plead self defence for knocking you on your rear end." He said spreading his arms with a grin. "Still wanna start soemthin'... Punk?" He said as Frank stepped back slightly, James allowing himself to smirk as he approached the retreating football player. "Come on. Where's this lesson about respect?" He asked as Frank continued to back away.

"Yeah well... Screw you!" Frank said before turning about and walking away briskly as the brunette and dark haired girls looking at his retreating back nervously.

"Hey, street walkers..." James began, pointing a thumb at Frank. "You're sugar daddy is leaving." He said, the two girls glaring at him before leaving as well. "Not gonna get any business with that walk!" He added before turning to Abigail. "You okay there Cloudy?"

"Yeah, thanks." She said as the others walked over to them. "Damn, you told them off!"

"Meh, don't worry." James replied with a smile. "I ain't one ta let people pick on my friends." He added, playfully wrapping an arm about her shoulder.

"Not the best way to handle it." Scott summed up. "But it worked."

"Damn straight!" Victor replied. "Did you see how he backed down? Priceless!"

"He might try something you know." Laura pointed out as she crossed her arms. "Get revenge."

"Please..." James snorted. "I don't need mutant powers to knock the dickens outta him. They just help."

"But calling those two street walkers?" Jean asked, frowning slightly.

"Hey, come on!" James retorted. "If ya can't take it, don't dish it out on someone else. Anywho, we done here?"

"...Yeah, I think we are." Jean sighed as she shook her head.

"Good."

0--0

"Home again, home again..." James said as he picked up a number of bags, passing a couple to Victor. "Man we got a lotta stuff..."

"Welcome home." Ororo said as she walked over. "X-23, the Professor--"

"Laura." James interrupted. "We got her a name. Well, she REMEMBERED a name she got called once."

"Oh, pardon me." Ororo replied. "In that case, Laura, the Professor would like to speak with you."

"What about?" She replied, adjusting her outfit.

"Identification, who your legal guardian is, a few documents." The weather witch replied. "Logan apparently called Nick Fury to--"

"S.H.I.E.L.D!?" Laura cried out, clenching her fists.

"I was with him when he stated he wasn't going to pursue you." Ororo said calmly. "He said he'd rather have a well-trained willing solider than a perfectly trained unwilling solider."

"...Fine. Whatever." Laura spat out before stomping off to the mansion's front door.

"Such an angry child..." Ororo muttered. "And who exactly dressed her in that outfit?"

"What the...?" Victor muttered as he paused, bags loading into his arms. "We didn't dress her!"

"She's not five years old Ms. Monroe." James added. "She picked it out herself! Surprised us with it too."

"Really?" Ororo said blinking. "Oh my. Logan is going to have a tough time if he really wants to be a father to her."

"Good luck trying."

0--0

"You wanted to see me?" Laura said as she entered the Professor's office, Nick Fury seated beside the desk and Logan standing nearby, glaring at her outfit.

"Where the HELL did you get that from?" Logan demanded, growling slightly.

"The mall. Picked it myself." Logan's clone replied, a bit of a grin on her face.

"Looks like you've got a typical rebellious teenage girl on your hand there Logan." Nick mused with a chuckle. "Come on over here Kid, we need to have us a little talk." He said as Laura stepped closer. "First things first, Logan asked me to drum up some ID for you. If you want he'll adopt you as his daughter and you can take his name as your family name, once we've made up a first name for you."

"Laura." She replied. "The others had me pick one out before we went to the mall, and I remember Dr. Risman calling me that once."

"Well, you can be Laura Logan then." Nick retorted.

"Assuming this is acceptable to you, of course." Xavier added. "I can take you in as my own ward, should you so desire, but Logan is rather set on being your parent."

"...Why?" Laura asked. "Why would you? You never had a say in my creation! Why would you care!?" She nearly screamed out.

"Look Kid..." Logan began. "I might not have made you, but you are made up from all my DNA and stuff. So I guess that makes you my daughter in a manner of speaking, even if I didn't have a say in it." He added gruffly as he sighed. "I ain't gonna promise nothing. I never thought I'd be a parent, and not to a kid who's already half grown up. But I want to try, alright. People sometimes ask if I gotta kid. And I want to tell them I gotta daughter. One I'm proud of for dealing with the crap she's dealt with." He said as the girl's face softened slightly. "So you ready to make a choice then?" He asked as she nodded.

"I guess... It's alright..." Laura replied slowly. "So I guess I'm supposed to call you... Father?"

"You can call me Dad if you'd like." Logan said with a smile.

"Or you can call him Old Man whenever you're pissed off." Nick added with a chuckle as Laura raised her arms slightly, before hesitantly lowering them. "It's alright. Kids hug their parents all the time..." He said softly.

"I'm just... I don't know, I think I'm... Nervous..." Laura said as she walked over to Logan, wrapping her arms about his chest, the gruff man wrapping his about her shoulders.

"You're entering a brave new world Laura." Xavier replied with a smile. "Things may seem strange, even scary... But here you are among friends who are willing to help you find you're way..." He said as the newly made family slowly stepped away.

"Well, with all that squared away I should get going." Fury said, standing up as he placed a toothpick in his mouth. "I should be able to get you the documents to get X... Laura in school for Monday... Heh..." He chuckled lightly. "Hydra's perfect weapon going to school... Viper must be rolling in her grave." 'Course this isn't going to be easy on her either.' Fury added to himself. 'School's one battlefield she isn't trained for...'


	3. A Show of Power

Shout Outs

Shout Outs...

X00001: Well she's trying to anyhow.

Blue-Eyes White Knight-BEWK: I'm a trying.

j.d.: Fun or a disaster anyway.

Proud to be an X-Nerd 2216: Personally I'm not much for gay characters. However Anole is gay in the comics. Here? Up the air for now.

0--0

"WHAAA-HOOOO!!" Abigail cried out as flew about on one of her clouds, goggles over her eyes as she did a barrel roll in the sky, her cloud creating a slight tail as she flew about, twisting and turning, laughing all the while. She dipped down over the roof of the mansion before lifting back up again into the skies her laugher increasing as she did a loop-de-loop on a whim. Giggling she slowed her cloud to a stop before jumping up and landing back first on her cloud, smiling as she merely floated there. "Man... So good to be free..." She giggled to herself.

"Hey Blondie!" She heard one of the teachers, Logan call out to her, sitting up on the cloud and looking over at him standing at the back door.

"Mr. Logan." Abigail replied as made a new cloud under her feet, standing on it and flying over to the man as the last one vanished. "What's up?"

"Ya know that little uniform you got?" He asked as she nodded once. "Suit up. Time to meet the Danger Room."

"...I don't like the sound of this..." She muttered before stepping off the cloud and heading inside.

0--0

"All right, we're putting you five in your own squad." Logan said gruffly, a clipboard in his hands as James, Victor, Laura, Abigail and Theresa lined up in front of him inside the Danger Room in the mansion's basic uniforms. "Right now we're gonna start easy; figure out what you guys are capable of. Hank and Xavier are up in the observation room takin' down notes about your powers."

"And the others?" Victor asked, pointing up to the observation room where a short-haired blonde blew a kiss at him, the other mansion residents watching on.

"Just checking out the new blood." Logan replied. "Like I said, you're a squad now. During training you'll use codenames, we'll drum up some later. Laura, X-23 if she wants to keep the codename, will be squad leader--"

"Pass it to someone else." Laura said with a snort. "I'm not planning to be here long, so what's the point?"

"You got the most experience of everyone here Laura." Logan sighed. "You're the best pick."

"When I leave you'll have to pick someone else anyway." She countered. "You might as well start them on the job now."

"...Fine, if you wanna be like that..." Logan growled out. "You can be second. Hotshot over there..." He said, pointing a thumb at James. "Can lead. Anything else anyone wants to deal with?" He asked, silence being his answer. "Fine. Laura, stay here. Rest of you up to observation, let's start this already."

0--0

"**Alright X-23." ** Xavier said through the speaker. **"This will be simple combat exercise. Compared to what Hydra put you through this should be a rather simple session. We're just looking for an idea of what you can do, nothing more. If you are ready..."** He paused as X-23 nodded once. **"Very well then. Begin."** He said as five holes opened up in the floor, lifting five humanoid robots to the room, each six feet in height and with large, almost mole-like forearms. The five began to walk towards her, laser based weaponry emerging from their arms, firing on the girl who rolled to one side, unsheathing the claws housed in her forearms. In one leap she was on the first, slashing it's arms off with two swipes, dodging another blast that struck the first robot, doing no damage save making it fall down.

'Simulated damage.' X-23 thought to herself as she back flipped over the second robot, decapitating it quickly while still in mid-air. Holes in the walls opened up allowing four metal spheres with a pair of hovering disks on each side to rush at her, an 'eye' in the center of the objects firing at her. Rolling across the ground she got back up to her feet, performing a flawless spinning back kick, extending the foot's claw long enough to cut another robot's head off before sheathing it. Rushing off to the next robot she weaved through the laser blasts, jumping on it's head, using it as a spring board to impale one of the flying orbs on her claws, retracting them long enough to grab the same orb and toss it at a second, knocking a disk off of it and sending spiralling into the ground.

Extending the claws again she landed on the fifth robot, impaling two sets of blades in it's shoulders before slashing apart it's chest and neck, darting away as the two remaining sphere's lowered themselves, firing on her as well as the one surviving robot. Weaving past the fire she performed a baseball slide, kicking the robot's arm with her foot and causing it to fire at the third sphere before performing a leg sweep, knocking it on it's back. Before she could renew her attack she had to dodge fire from the last sphere, it's companion falling to the ground in a simulated death. Running to a wall she ran up it's side before leaping off of it, slashing the offending orb in half as the last robot returned to it's feet. Redoubling her pace she leapt, slashing it's head off before it could fire, it's head bouncing off the floor as it fell.

"**Very well done."** Xavier said warmly. **"That will be all, for the moment. Come up to the observation room."**

0--0

"She's pretty hardcore stuff." James remarked.

"No kidding." The younger Jamie said, shaking his head. "Man, I'm glad she's on our side."

"An ally is always valuable, no matter whom it is." Henry McCoy, also know as The Beast added. "Regardless, James your test is next."

"Cool." The named youth said as he moved to the door, X-23 walking in as he left.

"He's next?" She remarked.

"Yes." Xavier replied. "Please, join us."

"That was easy." X-23 remarked as she stood next to him.

"Logan will be taking care of most of your training." He replied. "Rest assured he will push you harder than I ever could. Today is merely a feeling out period." He added as he saw James walk into the Danger Room. Pressing a button a large device exited the wall of the danger room, a massive pillar above a pad.

0--0

"**All right James, it's time to test your strength levels." **Xavier said through the speakers. **"Please move onto the station that's extended from the wall."** He added as James shrugged, moving onto the pad.

"Okay. Now what?" He asked.

"**Place your hands on the pillar above you. In a few moments it will press down on you. There is a safety to ensure you are not crushed, do not worry. The start will seem easy, a few pounds at first. The weight will gradually increase, to an upper limit of seventy tons." **He added as James set his hands above him, pressing into the pillar.

"Ready when you are." James replied.

"**Excellent. Begin."** Xavier said as the pillar moved down slightly, James pressing his hands back up, denying it movement. For the first several moments the weight was negligible. The he slowly began to feel pressure to the point he readjusted his stance for a firmer hold. Slowly the pressure built up, but he was still feeling as if it was hardly anything to worry about.

"Where are we at here?" He asked with a slight grunt.

"**Four tons at the moment."** Xavier replied as the weight began to slowly increase. **Six and a half." **He counted as James kept the weight above him. **"How are you feeling?"**

"This ain't nothin'!" James declared, easing the weight down so he could push it back up. "Crank her up a tad!"

"**As you wish."** Xavier replied as more weight pressed down, the pillar easing down two inches before being pushed back up. **"We are moving to... Ah, just past thirteen tons, roughly six and half cars."**

"Yeah, maybe I'll get a job towin' trucks." James mused as he held the weight firm.

0--0

"Sixteen tons." Xavier continued.

"Come on man." Roberto chuckled. "I can do forty, easy. Fifty on a good day."

"Aye, ya can." Rahne replied. "If it ain't cloudy out, boyo."

"She's right." Beast replied. "I suspect you might be stronger than him, however his level of strength is not subject to the weather."

"Nineteen tons." Xavier continued as Kitty let out a whistle.

"Well that super strength isn't just good for lifting." She mused. "It probably helped him fill out too. Look at those arms."

"I'm more interested in his abs." Amara admitted with a giggle.

"Would ya'll knock it off?" Rogue drawled. "Drooling over some guy, come on."

"Like how you drool over that Gambit guy?" Tabitha replied.

"Shut up!" Rogue retorted.

"Twenty three tons." Xavier continued as Rogue glared at her roommate.

"And ain't ya got a boyfriend already?" She added.

"Hey, I can still look, right?" Kitty replied as James adjusted his stance again.

"What are we?" Bobby whispered to Ray. "Leftovers?"

"**Okay, this is getting to be a little bit of a workout."** James admitted from the Danger Room floor.

"Want to call it off?" Logan asked over the intercom.

"**Hell no!"** James shot back. **"Gimmie another couple o' tons!"**

"You asked for it." Logan said as he adjusted the weight.

"Moving right up to twenty eight tons?" Xavier said, turning to Logan. "Is such an increase wise?" He asked James struggling a moment before pushing it back up.

"He asked. I answered." Logan replied.

"Oiy, that is a lot of weight." Rahne muttered.

"Thirty one tons." Xavier added.

"Work it hard love machine!" Tabitha cried out with a giggle.

"**I HEARD THAT!"** James shot back. **"It's like lifting a... tank down here!"**

"About thirty tons is about the weight of a light or medium tank, give or take." Logan replied. "I think that's enough." He added, seeing James' body shake somewhat. "If he ain't at his limit, he's close enough."

"Very well then." Xavier said, deactivating the equipment.

0--0

"Whew..." James breathed, stepping off the platform and wiping his head. "Haven't had a work out like that for awhile now..."

"**We're only half done Hotshot."** Logan replied. **"Swap forms and get ready, we're testing your speed limit next."** He added as James tugged at his collar.

"Uh, that's not quite a great idea." James muttered.

"**Don't get all shy now, get ready!" **Logan called out as James sighed slightly focusing as his body shortened by six inches as his gender shifted to female, his brown hair turning blonde as a pair of breasts emerged from his chest just before his gloves fell off and his uniform hug loosely over his now feminine frame. **"...What happened to your uniform?"** Logan asked.

"Nothing!" James shot back, wincing at what was now 'her' feminine voice. "That's the problem! I can shift. My clothes don't."

"**For the love of... All right, I'm gonna have Smith get ya one of her spare uniforms." **Logan replied. **"It should fit you."**

0--0

"I am wearing a girl's uniform..." James remarked a few minutes later with a sigh as he adjusted a boot. "I went from Prince... To Princess..."

"**Quit your whinin'!" **Logan bellowed out.

0--0

"Easy Logan." Xavier advised. "I doubt he's too... Comfortable with his alternate form." He said before turning to the intercom. "Does Tabitha's uniform fit you well enough James?"

"**Little tight in the chest and hips, but I'm fine."** James called back.

"I thought his girl-side seemed a little more... curvy than me." Tabitha mused. "Damn! He's got two great sets of equipment!"

"**I heard that!"**

"I'm totally miffed!" Kitty said, pouting. "A guy has bigger breasts than me! Like, come on!"

"Tell me about it." Abigail sighed, looking at her own small chest.

"**You guys know I can hear you, right?"**

"Why does the size of her... his... whatever breasts matter?" Laura asked. "Hell, it's gotta be a pain to fight with bigger ones."

"Besides, we really shouldn't talk about this." Jean intervened. "It's probably embarrassing for him."

"Well for all it's worth..." Jamie mused. "He makes a very uhh... convincing girl?"

"**Not helping!"**

"Okay, knock it off, all of ya's!" Logan said as he activated the room, a circular track rising up into the room.

0--0

"**Okay Hotshot. Ignore the peanut gallery." **Logan began. **"Right now we're gonna test two things, your speed and your agility. When your ready just run the course as fast as you can, once you max out your speed I'll start adding obstacles you need to get by. Got it?"**

"Yeah, yeah..." James said, moving down into a starting position before thrusting forwards, legs pumping as he pushed his female frame up to speed.

0--0

"Twenty five miles per hour and climbing..." Xavier mused as he watched his formerly male student make a turn. "Unfortunately we need to do something about his clothing"

"Quite." Ororo mused. "He lost about six inches and forty or fifty pounds with the change. His ability to shift doesn't extend to what he wears, so we need to fix that somehow."

"Perhaps I should consult with forge." Henry mused quietly. "Perhaps he would have an idea as to what to do."

"Thirty six miles per hour." Xavier added. "And still climbing."

"Could she slow down a bit?" Roberto asked. "Hard to see her."

"Her?" Victor parroted. "That's a GUY dude! Ignore the new framework. Lick a stamp and slap it on him, he's male!"

"Worst. Analogy. Ever." Ray added. "But yeah. Hot as that bod looks, it's a guy's mind under the hood. So don't think you'll win any dates with him."

"Hey, I can look, right?" Roberto said cheekily.

"Forty three miles per hour." Xavier continued tracking James' speed as legs and arms pumped through the air, leaning into each turn.

"Wonder if he plays with it?" Bobby mused.

"Hey!" Amara and Rahne cried out.

"Just wondering if he test drove the... New equipment..." He stated. "I would." He added as nearly all the girls in the room glared at him, including Ororo.

"I don't get it." Laura muttered.

"Same here..." Theresa added softly.

"You'll hear about the Birds and the Bees in a few years, Theresa." Scott said with a slight grin. "Although given how old she is, maybe Logan should have 'the talk' with Laura." He chuckled making Logan flinch slightly. Laura glared at him for a moment and was about to inform him of the fact she didn't need any kind of 'talk' until she noticed the discomfort of her father.

"What kind of talk is it, Dad?" She asked as sweetly as her killer nature allowed. Although she failed at appearing sweet and innocent seeing her father's discomfort made it a victory in her mind."

"The kind you don't have in polite company." Logan replied simply.

"Fifty three miles per hour." Xavier stated as Logan turned his head to look.

"Looks like it's time to add to this session." He said, trying to avoid the subject of 'the talk'.

0--0

"**All right Hotshot, the fun part starts now!"** Logan called out as James was forced to bank sharply, avoiding a pillar that popped up from the ground, ducking a second that extended from the wall. A moment later he ran up the outside of the course to bypass a number of rising hurdles his momentum allowing him maintain his high speed. A moment later a number of pillars rose up before him in session. Rather than weave around them and risk losing speed he leapt up, stepping across them as stones before jumping down, rolling back up to his feet continuing his way along before the course began to sink back into the floor. Noting the exercise was over he slowed down to a jog, panting slightly before combing to a halt, doubling over.

"Whew... That it?" He asked, wincing at the sound of his female forms voice. 'I'm never getting used to this.' He thought to himself, looking down at his, or was it her currently, breasts.

"**For now." **Logan replied. **"Get changed and get up here."**

"Right." He said, moving to the door.

0--0

"Not Quicksilver fast..." Beast mused. "But he can just run at highway speeds, which is very impressive."

"Quite." Xavier added. "His reaction time or reflexes at least, seem to be much better in his altered form."

"Vell..." Kurt began. "If you move that fast you need to be able to react that fast, right?"

"An excellent point, Kurt." Xavier replied. "Victor, are you ready for your session?" He asked as the lizard-like mutant put a yellow skull cap on his head.

"All set!" He called out before walking out the door.

"Vonder how he'll do?" Kurt mused as James, back in his male form and uniform, walked in, passing Tabitha her outfit back.

"Okay." He began, frowning. "Who in the HELL referred to me as 'she'? And don't pretend I didn't hear it over the com!" He demanded. Most of the boys in the room shared a glance before pointing towards Roberto.

"Traitors!" He declared as James stomped up to him. "Hey, come on man, it's all it good fun, right? And you gotta admit that chick form of yours is devi--OW! No! HEY! Leggo!"

"Shouldn't we stop this?" Xavier asked as Roberto failed his arms, James holding him in a standing rear naked choke hold.

"Nah, that boy's gotta learn sometime." Logan mused as Victor stepped out onto the field.

"HELP!"

0--0

"**Alright there Gecko, we got an obstacle course for you too." **Logan said as the entire room began to glow.

"What the...?" Victor mused as the entire world about him shifted into a tropical jungle. "Ah, cool! A holodeck!"

"**We ain't gonna be Star Trekkin' here!"** Logan called out. **"Your job is to get from point A to point B. Your standin' at A, B is about a mile out north and has a lotta traps between the two. Get moving!"** He added as Victor leapt into a tree, crawling up before shooting his tongue out to grab a branch, swinging over to the next tree.

0--0

"Great..." Rogue drawled. "Another Toad. Except he don't smell as bad."

"Come on." Tabitha replied. "A tongue THAT long? That could be very nice..."

"And he's cute." Amara added. "...For a reptile."

"Aye..." Rahne added, nodding slightly. "He is very cute for a lizard."

"The wolf in you telling to eat him in a different manner?" Tabitha joked.

"Wah!?" Rahne spat back. "No! I dinnae know what yea talkin' about!"

"She likes him." Theresa added with a slight giggle.

"Do not!" Rahne called back.

"AIR!" Roberto gasped, tapping at James' arm. "AIR!!"

0--0

"This is too easy..." Victor mused, looking about as he dropped to the ground, crouching. Noting a strange collection of leaves on the ground he shot his tongue at it, recalling it back immediately before a branch swiped out four feet above the ground. "That could have hurt." He mused focussing slightly. "Yeah..." He added as he faded from few. "Hoped these new duds could do it with me." He added chuckling lightly as he slowly crawled along the ground.

0--0

"He vanished?" Beast said.

"No, I can still sense him." Xavier replied.

"I can see him." Logan replied. "He's not invisible, just really well cloaked. If you look closely enough there's a little waver in the air whenever he moves.

"I sorta see... Yeah, I see him. Barley." Scott said. "Man that must come in handy."

"Just think Rahne." Tabitha said as James finally let Roberto go, the Brazilian boy collapsing to the ground. "He could sneak into your room... Seduce you in the darkness of night to have his way with you... No one would ever know..."

"TA**BI**_**THA**_!" Rahne shrieked. "Could'ya NOT put such thoughts inta my head!"

"I'm not doing that!" Tabitha laughed. "They're already there! I'm just making you focus on them!"

"Pity the man she likes." Ray whispered to Bobby. "Cause he ain't gonna be able to keep her on a leash!"

"No kiddin'." Bobby replied.

0--0

Leaping over a swinging log Victor's camouflage faded as he hopped over onto a tree, bouncing off it before he was struck by a rubber ball, leaping up into a tree before bounding off to a second, using his tongue to swing back to the ground, running forwards as more balls were fired at him. He cried out as a hole opened underneath him but quickly shot his tongue out to grab hold of a branch, pulling himself up. Rolling to avoid another barrage he got to his feet, leaping back up into the trees for cover, jumping branch to branch before landed in a small clearing, the jungle about him dissipating.

"I thought the start was too easy..." He panted slightly.

"**The whole course was easy Gecko."** Logan replied. **"Hop back up here."**

"Right." Victor replied as he walked to the door.

0--0

"A high level of agility, prehensile tongue, as well as an ability to camouflage himself to an extent." Beast mused. "Not bad."

"Agreed." Xavier added. "Abigail, your next." He added as the blonde nodded, pulling her goggles up from around her neck and over her eyes. As she turned to leave Victor re-entered the room, nodding at her as she walked out the door before walking over to James. A moment later he looked down at Roberto.

"Heard him, didn't cha?" He asked.

"Yup." James replied simply.

0--0

"Okay." Abigail said, looking around the Danger Room. "What do I do?" She asked as the area about her changed, reforming to a cliff above a sea, the sky open and blue.

"**Simple Blondie."** Logan replied. **"You like flying? Here's a course."** He said as glowing rings began to appear, the nearest green, the remainder red. **"Nothin' fancy Blondie. Go from ring to ring to ring. We're timing you, so don't hold out on the horsepower."** He said as Abigail formed a cloud under her feet, spreading her stance slightly as she crouched. **"Ready! Set! ...**_**GO!**_**" **He called out as Abigail flew forwards and upwards, passing the first ring, the next one turning green. Turning sharply as she past the ring she flew towards the next, giggling as she started a turn before the next ring, and going through it and aiming for the next one.

"This is SWEET!" She cried out.

0--0

"Wow, look at her go!" Bobby called out. "She's kinda scrawny, but she knows how to fly!"

"No kidding!" Jamie added. "She's a pro!"

"Ya know, I think she's kinda cute." Ray stated. "Scrawny, but it works for her." He added as Roberto got back to his feet.

"Did I miss anything?" He asked.

0--0

"Oh-YEAH!" Abigail cried out as she made a fast turn, barrelling towards the next ring, passing it and diving to the next. "I am SO good at this!" She called out, passing through the last ring. "Yeah!"

"**Well done Abigail."** Xavier said as the world about her returned to the metal halls of the danger room. **"And on a side note, you broke the course's record time. Three minutes, forty eight seconds. Come back to the observation room please."**

"Oh yeah, new record!" She called out before flying out the door.

0--0

"SHE BEAT MY TIME!?" Roberto cried out. "MY TIME!?"

"Poor baby..." James chuckled.

"Good thing she IS fast." Logan huffed. "Ain't like she can hit people with that cloud o' hers."

"True. But I'm sure other uses for her powers will make themselves know later." Xavier replied.

"She'll work best as a scout, or transport if she's not slowed down much by a passenger." Logan added.

"All right Theresa, your last." Xavier added as the girl shuffled her feet. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. We just need an accurate gauge of your abilities." He said as the girl shuffled her feet, nodding before leaving the door, Abigail flying in over her.

"Woo-yeah!" She cried out, as she gave Tabitha a high-five.

"Way to go girlfriend!" Tabitha giggled. "You were great!"

"That was so fun!" Abigail cried out. "Can I do it again!?"

"Perhaps later Abigail." Xavier replied as Theresa walked out onto the Danger Room floor.

0--0

The young girl gulped nervously as three robots, one much like X-23 faced earlier, one over twice the size and a third standing over thirty feet tall rose from the ground, facing her. Crying out the girl stumbled backwards, landing on her rear.

"**There is no reason to be afraid Theresa." **Xavier said through the intercom. **"These training robots are not active. They cannot harm you." **He said soothingly as the girl stood up. **"They are merely targets to help gauge the level of your power. When you are ready use your sonic screams to destroy as many of them as you can. Take your time, there is no hurry."**

"O...okay..." She said softly, coughing into her hand before taking deep breathes. "Okay, you can do this." She said rubbing her hands together. "It won't hurt anyone, so you can do this..." She added before relaxing. Gulping slightly she tilted her head back before thrusting it forwards with a massive scream, sound waves visible as they exited her mouth, rushing towards the robots, slamming into them. Her scream's pitch rose as the first robot began to smoke before blowing apart.

0--0

"I preferred it when she kept quiet." Logan mused as he covered his ears.

"Tell me about it." Laura added, covering her own.

"Look at that thing rattle!" Amara cried out as the second robot fell over before it's head blew apart. "A lotta power for a little girl!"

"Yeah, tell me about it!" Ray chuckled as the lights above him began to flicker. "Wah!?" He cried out as the screaming rose to a new level.

"Can you ask her to stop?" Laura groaned as James rushed over to catch her as she doubled over. "It's starting... To hurt my ears..."

"Not all it's doing!" Bobby cried out as sparks appeared, coming out of a computer station.

"Theresa, that's enough!" Xavier called into the intercom as Logan began to double over as well. "She can't hear me!"

"Uh oh..." Beast muttered as Theresa closed her eyes, increasing the volume of her attack, the Danger Room sparking about her, panels blowing off as the last robot broke apart just before the lights went out. Once all became dark she stopped her attack.

"**Why... Why is it so dark?" **Her voice said as emergency power was activated, emergency lights activating.

"You okay Laura?" James asked as the clone stood back up.

"I think so..." She replied as she rubbed at her ears, Logan doing the same as he shook his head.

"I suppose that's all for now..." Xavier sighed. "I wanted you five to do a team exercise, but that can wait."

"Not that we have a choice." Ororo added.

"When's the last time someone broke the Danger Room?" Rogue asked.

"Dunno." Kitty replied.

"I better get my toolkit." Beast sighed, moving to a storage room.

"**...Guys..."** Theresa began. **"Did I do something wrong?"**

"_No Theresa."_ Xavier told her telepathically. _"It's all right. Nothing's broken that can't be fixed. You'll need to push the button next to the door to get out; your power is more potent than I had anticipated."_

"_I'm sorry..."_ She sent back.

"_Don't be." _Xavier replied. _"No one is angry with you. We'll be better prepared for this next time, and by understanding your powers we can help you control them. The Danger Room can be refitted to be able to withstand your powers, and to help you gain control over them. Training is over for now, you can go to your room or join your friends if you so choose."_

"_...Okay."_ Theresa replied as she began to leave the room.

"So much for another run." Abigail sighed.

"Hey Dad?" Laura began.

"Yeah Kid?" Logan replied.

"...We gonna have that talk now?"


	4. School Sucks

Shout Outs

Shout Outs...

X00001: You know it ain't gonna be good.

Proud to be an X-Nerd 2216: In full out combat against his clone: Wolverine keeps his cool. She asks him about sex: he starts waving a flag.

0--0

"Wakey, wakey Victor!" James called out, shaking his still snoring and sleeping roommate's shoulder. "Time to get breaky before school. ...Come on you lazy ass lizard, wake up!" He called out, Victor mumbling something in his sleep before snoring again. "Wake up damn it, before I get creative!" He said, as the reptilian mutant rolled over, snoring loudly. "All right. You asked for it!" James muttered, walking over to the balcony, opening the doors. Walking back he tossed the blanket's away, picking of his still snoring friend, carrying him easily to the balcony. "Have a nice bath!" He added, pulling him back before twisting his hips, throwing him off the balcony.

0--0

"Quiet..." Scott muttered as Jean pressed into his side, the two sitting in the backyard of the mansion. "Too bad we've got to get ready for our class later. I could get used to that. College can be a pain sometimes."

"I know exactly what you mean Scott." Jean replied, snuggling into him. "This feels like a perfect morning. Nothing could happen to disrupt it. Just... Perfect..." She added. Right before a massive splash sounded by the nearby pool, water making way for the unwilling diver and coming down on the love birds. A moment later Victor surfaced in the pool, coughing slightly.

"BLEEDING JESUS ON A CROSS!!" He shouted out. "THAT'S COLD!!"

"So much for perfection." Scott muttered as Jean began to wring out her hair.

0--0

"Eggs, bacon, pancakes..." Abigail listed off as she filled her plate before sitting down in the kitchen. "What more can you ask for?"

"Someone ELSE to wake you up?" Victor said, glaring at James.

"Hey, it WORKED didn't it?" James replied, biting into some bacon.

"You threw me into the POOL!" Victor retorted.

"Voah, really?" Kurt exclaimed. "Must have been an AWESOME cannonball!"

"...Aren't you supposed to feel sorry for me?" Victor asked.

"Let's see..." Kitty began to list off. "Jean dumped Scott in the pool once, Roberto did that to Bobby, Kurt did it to me, himself, Jean, Amara, Ray, Rahne, Tabitha..."

"Everyone except Lo... Dad, huh?" Laura added as she bit into her sausage.

"No, did it to Mr. Logan too." Kitty replied.

"Yeah." Bobby added. "I remember that! Said he was gonna, eh-hem..." He coughed before doing his best Logan impersonation. "When I find you, bub, you're gonna be a hairless elf!"

"The only difference is the rest of us were awake at the time." Kitty added as Logan walked into the room.

"What's all this about?" He grunted out as he poured himself some coffee.

"James chucked Vic into the pool for a wake up call." Tabitha explained.

"So that's what I heard." Logan chuckled. "Think you could do that to Ice Cube next time he sleeps his lazy ass in?"

"Hey!" Bobby shot back. "I get up on time! Usually." Logan snorted slightly as he brought the cup up to his lips.

"So... Dad..." Laura added after eating some bacon. "What is this talk we're supposed to have?" She asked as Logan choked briefly on his java.

"You just like making him squirm, huh?" James whispered to her.

"I could get used to this..." She admitted with a grin.

0--0

"Jocks, cheerleaders, nerds and bullies." Abigail sighed as they rode in the van to their new school. "School sucks."

"Ah, buck up Cloudy." James replied, Kurt and Victor's image inducers disguising them. "School's a school. You worry too much."

"Maybe you don't worry enough." Kurt replied. "Everyone knows Xavier's equals mutants. Most kids at school avoid us, but a few have tried picking on us."

"Peh. Bullies ain't nothin' I can't handle." James declared. "And I don't mean having the physical strength to toss'em into the next zip code either."

"Lucky for you." Kurt replied. "I look like a demon!"

"Spider monkey really."

"I AM NOT A SPIDER MONKEY!"

"Chill dude." Victor replied. "Can't be that bad. Town I lived in treated me nice."

"Really?" Jean said, behind the wheel. "I'd think with your looks..."

"Small town." Victor replied with a shrug. "As I changed growing up people just figured 'hey, this is the same kid we always knew.' I got stares, yeah. And don't even start on the tourists."

"I had to deal vith mobs myself." Kurt sighed. "But my family and neighbours... They all gave me love, despite my looks."

"Maybe we get all the hate 'cause people think we'd steal all the love." Victor joked.

"Yeah!" Kurt chuckled. "Chicks dig the fuzzy dude!"

"Yo, Sideshow boys!" James called out as the stopped. "We're here!"

0--0

"Abigail Boylen. Evanston High School." Principal Bauman, a towered African-American man began. "Victor Borkowski. West Wind High School. James Gemini. Chicago Public High School. Laura Logan. Home schooled." He set his papers down, looking at the mutants gathered before him. His predecessor Principal, now Mayor, Kelly had said anyone from Xavier's would be a mutant and trouble. He'd judge that for himself, but the taller boy looked like he'd either find trouble or it would find him. The shorter looked like a delinquent, or failing that a class clown. The scrawny blonde girl just had a look that screamed 'pick on me', and the toned brunette had a look that was a mix of bored and annoyed.

"That'd be us." James remarked. "Sir."

"I guessed as much." Bauman replied. "Okay people, this is what I know. Xavier runs a school for mutants. All of you are probably mutants. Which means one way or another, you're trouble."

"You accusing us of something?" James replied.

"No." Bauman said simply. "But I know the whole human-mutant tension thing is going to cause friction, like it or not." He said leaning forwards. "You need to defend yourself? Fine. Can't turn one of your stinking powers off? Fine. But no active powers, unless you've got no other choice. Don't stir no crap up and ain't going to dump crap on you. This is my school. I don't want no trouble in my school if it can be helped. We clear?"

"I'll play straight if you do." James replied. "I'm sure they will too."

"Glad to hear it son." Bauman replied. "Now get yourselves to class."

0--0

"That guy was kinda mean looking." Abigail mentioned as she followed James down the hall.

"One eighteen... One nineteen." He counted as they walked down. "I think he's cool. Might be a hard-ass, but those guys tend to be fair."

"Still a hard-ass..." Abigail replied. "One twenty one, here we are. Math."

"I hate math..." James remarked before opening the door. Stepping in a paper airplane bounced off his forehead. "Really hate math..."

"You must Xavier's new students..." The teacher droned out. "Please come up and introduce yourselves to the class."

"He just outted us." Abigail whispered.

"Relax, and stay cool." James said, stepping to the front of the class. "Okay, I'm James Gemini. I'm from Chicago. This is my friend Abigail Boylen. Any questions?"

"Are you gonna suck out my brain mutie?" A kid near the front asked.

"No. I'm a mutant, not a B-grade monster movie villain." James replied calmly.

"What's you stinking power?" A kid in the back asked.

"The power to not give a damn about you."

"As entertaining as this is..." The teacher interrupted in a droning tone. "Please sit down so class can begin."

"Yay." James said sarcastically, spinning a finger in the air.

0--0

"I hate school!" Laura cried out as she set her tray down on the table, sitting next to James. "They all stare at me, and try to shove me around!"

"Welcome to High School." Victor replied. "As you progress through social hell do remember you have access to school councillors who really don't give a hoot."

"I can't believe I'm saying this..." Laura began, glaring at her fries. "But... I'd rather... Be back at Hydra."

"Your kidding me?" James blinked.

"At least THERE I can gut those losers in the science division."

"Point."

"It ain't that bad. I made a friend." Victor replied.

"Yo Vic, what up fo'shizzile!?" A lanky black kid called out, stumbling his way past the table. "You da'man on all that chemistry stuff, yo! We cool fo' Wensday?"

"We cool." Victor replied with a wave.

"Far out, yo!" The kid replied before walking off.

"What language was that?" Laura asked.

"You get people trying to talk like gangsters, hip hop dudes and rappers all the time in a big enough school." James replied as he poked at his food. "You'll hear weirder."

"Hydra, take me now..."

0--0

"Gawd, first day sucked..." Abigail groaned as she pulled a book out of her new locker, the halls thinning out.

"I know." Laura agreed, leaning against another locker. "Normal kids go through this all the time?" And she thought training to be a living weapon was tough.

"Yep." Abigail replied, setting an unneeded book into the locker. "Social food chain thing. Jocks and preppy girls at the top, with the Quarterback and Head Cheerleader in the lead. Other hangerons under them, then average kids, then nerds and geeks, then losers and misfits." She sighed, shutting her locker. "As mutants we are in the misfits section by default."

"Fun." Laura replied.

"Good thing is you don't actually need to listen to the higher social orders." Abigail continued. "But they get pissed off if you don't listen to them."

"Damn straight Scrawny Blondie!" She heard as she and Laura turned their heads to face the brunette from the mall, her black haired friend as well as a dark-skinned girl with an afro.

"Not them again." Abigail groaned banging her head against the locker. "Not on the first day..."

"And that big bastard ain't here to cover your ass!" The brunette replied, smirking as she crossed her arms.

"I'm here." Laura replied, stepping in front of her. "Try picking on me, wimp."

"Wimp?" The brunette girl scoffed, looking Laura over. "You just askin' for it. Mellissa." She said as black haired girl cracked her knuckles, stepping forwards towards Laura.

"Laura..." Abigail began. "Please don't cripple her on the first day..."

"Don't think this Plain Jane can help you." Mellissa said. "You know why I keep my nails cut short? For THIS!" She cried out, swinging a fist at Laura's jaw. At first Abigail was afraid, not for Laura but her assailant and the dozens of ways the trained former agent of Hydra could kill her. Instead the clone allowed the fist to strike her jaw, her face turning slightly as a loud crack was heard. "OW! MY FREAKING HAND!" She cried out, cradling her fist. "What the...? Why did...?"

"You really..." Laura growled out. "Do not... Want me... To get... Mad..."

"What kind of freak are you?" The brunette cried out backing away before she and dark skinned girl turned tail, running away down the hall.

"Hey! Help-- ow my hand..." Mellissa cried out. "I think I broke my hand! Help me out here!" She cried out before following her friends.

"What happened!?" Abigail asked, looking over her roommate. "I thought you'd drop her!"

"I could of." Laura admitted. "But I remember what James talked about in the mall. I could have gotten away with a lot after that. Self defence."

"But what happened to her hand?" Abigail pressed on as her friend turned her face away. "I mean she hit you right in the JAW! And you acted like it was a baby's tap!"

"The didn't just clone me..." She said. "Logan... Dad was called Weapon X. A lot of the details are missing, but the Weapon X process itself remained. A process you can survive only if you have a healing factor. They used it... To... To coat his skeleton... And Hydra used to... to coat MY skeleton with adamantium... A nearly unbreakable metal alloy... I still... Remember all the pain and agony from it..." She added quietly, hanging her head.

"I'm sorry." Abigail replied, setting a hand on her shoulder. "You... I mean, it must have been hard on you."

"...Why am I even talking about this?" Laura hissed. "Why did I WANT to talk about it...? Never mind it... It doesn't matter anymore… It's history. So now what do we do? School's over."

"...Wanna go someplace?" Abigail suggested, smiling slightly.

0--0

"What the hell is this?" Laura asked as Abigail looked about grinning widely. "So much noise... And what is with these things?" She asked, pointing to standing boxes with sticks and buttons, figures appearing on their screen. Some of the boxes had kids jerking the sticks about and pressing the buttons.

"This is an arcade, Laura." Abigail replied. "People come here to relax. Have fun."

"...Fun is something I'm not good at."

"Come on, I think I know the game for you!" Abigail said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to a video screen in front of a pair of platforms, two kids failing madly on them. "Say hello to your new friend, Dance Dance Revolution!"

"Uhh... Hello Dance Dance Revolution?" Laura deadpanned.

"Don't be like that." Abigail sighed.

"What in the hell is this supposed to be?" Laura asked.

"It's a cool game." Abigail replied. "It works like this: See the platform they're on and the arrows?" She began, Laura nodding as she noted them. "Up, down, left, right. On the screen your going to see arrows scroll across and roll over those blank arrows, called the Step Zone. The goal is to hit each button, with your feet, as they're in the slot. Green ones are Freeze arrows, you need to hold them down until the end. The better the fit, the better the score. Nail it dead on you get a Perfect. Little off is Great, then Good, Almost then Boo. You don't want Boo. Get two Perfects or Greats in a row you start a combo. Combos are good. You want combos! Try it!"

"I'm not sure..." Laura began.

"Yo, check it out!" They heard, seeing Bobby and Roberto walking over. "You girls playing?" Bobby asked.

"I'm trying to get her to play." Abigail admitted.

"Better not!" Roberto boasted. "Reigning Champ, right here!" He said, patting his chest.

"The champ James choked out the other day in under two minutes, you mean." Laura stated simply.

"HEY!" Roberto shouted back. "Come on man, if the lights were brighter I coulda taken him."

"Keep telling yourself that." Bobby chuckled.

"Screw you!" Roberto replied. "I can still whoop anyone in DDR! Clone or no Clone, I am the Dance Dance Revolution King of the World!"

"Are you challenging me?" Laura said darkly as the two kids playing the game hopped off the platforms.

"Get a couple of quarters and put your dancing shoes on." Roberto replied. "This is me... calling you out to a dance-off!"

0--0

"Least he didn't call her out to a fight." Bobby chuckled.

"I can see where that'd be a bad idea." Abigail admitted as Laura and Roberto stood on the platform the music starting up as their feet began to move, each step coordinated as the pressed the buttons on the ground.

"Kid Brazil's playing again." Someone in the crowd mentioned.

"I'm checking the new girl!" Another guy admitted. "Move those buns, hun!"

"She's new? She can't be new?" Someone else said. "She's too GOOD to be new." He said as the game picked up speed, nearing it's end.

"I don't believe it, the new girl is..." Another guy said. "She is... I don't believe it!"

"NEW RECORD!!" Abigail declared as the game ended.

"NO!!" Roberto cried out as he fell to his knees. "Not another one! Not another of my records broken!"

"Nice work Laura!" Abigail laughed out.

"Now what?" Laura asked, looking at the screen.

"Simple." The blonde girl replied. "Put in your initials so everyone knows who's the mother lovin' boss at the game!" Thinking a moment Laura grinned.

The games new record holder would only be know as a smiling enigma called X23.

0--0

"Dude, what are you looking for?" Victor asked as James looked through a selection of CDs in a store at the mall.

"Music." He replied, flipping through the discs. "Duh."

"Okay, let me rephrase that." Victor sighed. "What KIND of music are you looking for?"

"Hip hop, funk, stuff like that." James replied. "Something to b-boy to, ya know?"

"What's b-boy?"

"Breakdance."

"Oh... Got a black belt in that too man?"

"Shut up dude. Here we go." James said taking a CD and looking at the back of it. "This'll do fine." He said taking it to the counter.

0--0

"Whoa..." Kitty let out, she and other students at the mansion watched as James did a windmill on a sheet of cardboard in the backyard, a nearby boom box playing as he swung his legs before he moved into a one-arm handstand, holding it briefly before dropping, rolling over his shoulder and back to his feet before doing a back flip, landing on his feet before dropping into a split, placing his hands on the ground, freezing as he lifted his legs up before swinging them to his right, lifting his arm to allow passage before setting down as he lifted his left arm as his legs swung about, repeating the air flare.

"That is so cool!" Jamie called out as James powered himself up into a handstand before pushing up, flipping about on his feet.

"Show off couldn't do half as well without his power." Rogue remarked before turning around, heading back inside the mansion.

"Feels good to cut loose!" James chuckled as the made a slash-throat motion to Victor who turned the boom box off, the music stopping.

"We miss anything?" Abigail asked as Laura, Roberto and Bobby followed her to the backyard, Roberto dragging his feet as he stepped over.

"Just James don't a lil' killer break-dance for us." Tabitha replied. "What's with him?" She asked pointing to Roberto.

"The new initials at the top of the DDR machine are now X-Two-Three!" Bobby chuckled. "She whooped his ass!"

"Oh, come on, what is this?" Roberto whined. "Pick on Sunspot week?"

"Bye, bye record!" Kitty giggled as Roberto groaned.

"Come on man..." Roberto sighed. "Have some sympathy for a guy, would ya? Would that kill you?"

"Hey, how'd Theresa do in Middle School?" Abigail asked.

"Oh, she's fine." Rahne replied. "She seems to like her school."

"Ask her if we can switch." Laura snorted. "Mine sucks."

"No can do." Abigail replied. "You're stuck in High School Hell with me."

"...Ah crap..."

0--0

"Now that you've all been settled in somewhat..." Xavier began, addressing the five new arrivals in his office. "With the exception of Jean all our students use a codename in training. Right now I'd like to help you select yours. I assume Laura will continue to use X-23?"

"May as well." Laura replied.

"Pause for a sec!" James said.

"Why doesn't Jean have a codename?" Victor asked.

"When she first got here she called herself, and I do quote, 'The Marvelling, Marvellous Marvel Girl'. After puberty she dropped it, and has yet to assume another codename."

"What's puberty?" Laura asked.

"It should be a part of Logan's 'talk'." Abigail said, offhandedly.

"I'll ask him later." The clone said, trying to hide her grin.

"Do you need any suggestions?" Xavier asked.

"Codenames? That seems so comic-book-ish." Abigail muttered. "Still, the course in the Danger Room was sweet! I was on cloud nine!"

"Now there's an idea..." James said. "Cloud Nine. Call yourself Cloud Nine."

"Cloud Nine?" Abigail pondered. "I guess it fits."

"Cloud Nine it is then." Xavier said warmly.

"I think I'll use Anole." Victor shrugged. "Old nickname a friend gave me, should put it to use."

"Excellent. Anole it is." Xavier said smiling as Theresa began writing in her notebook. "James, any ideas?"

"Gimmie a break man..." James sighed before raising his tone slightly. "I don't know... I mean what do you call a guy who's a super-powered transvestite?"

"Transvestite?" Laura asked.

"Not now." Victor hissed.

"Please James." Xavier began. "Most mutants need to reconcile with their changes. Usually this is merely learning to control or manage a strange and wondrous new gift. You, however, face a crossroads few have ever, or will ever face. Most of us can define ourselves as male or female. You are among the few who can be both, should you so choose. You are facing an identity crisis that is difficult to describe. You don't just have a single identity. You have a dual identity."

"Dual..." Abigail whispered. "Why not use that as a codename? Dual."

"Dual?" James parroted.

"It's kinda catchy!" Victor added.

"I dunno..." James said, rubbing the back of his head. "Is it... Me?"

"You are who you are." Laura replied with a shrug. "Why in the world does your gender matter anyway? You're you, no matter what body you're wearing."

"...Yeah. You're right." James chuckled lightly. "Dual it is. Thanks Laura." He added, giving her back a pat.

"Uhh... You are... welcome?" She replied, with a nervous smile.

"That leaves you Theresa." Xavier said. "Any ideas?" He asked as she set the notebook on the desk. Picking it up Xavier looked at the crude drawing of a woman in a dress, standing on a rock in the middle of a sea with word 'Siryn' scribbled under it. "Siryn? Is that it?" He asked, the girl nodding. "Siryn it is then."

0--0

"Status." Trask said, seated in a chair of his office as Clansey, a muscular blonde man with a buzz cut stood in front of his desk. Trask himself looked out of his window behind his desk to the factory before, weapons of war being manufactured.

"Fourteen men taken into S.H.I.E.L.D custody." Clansey replied. "No senior staff, thankfully. A computer hard drive is missing; we think the mutant boy took it after he ripped the computer apart. We must assume Fury has it."

"Nothing we can't replace, although Fury will get wind of my new designs." Trask sighed. "The mutants?"

"Now attending Xavier's Institute. All of them." Clansey replied. "I suspect both Fury and Xavier will look out for them."

"Even the weapon?" Trask asked, turning his chair about to face his subordinate.

"Surprised me too." Clansey replied. "How the boy managed to escape is not known. Only that the X-Men helped them get away. The toxin you developed was tested on a normal human. He is now dead."

"WHAT!?" Trask said standing up and looking at Clansey. "I ordered more tests with rats before a human subject was used!"

"Science division jumped the gun. I have... dealt with them accordingly. The same mistake will not be repeated."

"So a poison that targets only mutants is still not viable..." Trask sighed. "What about Project: Guardian?"

"Tests on that are very good." Clansey reported. "Seven foot tall combat robots, well armoured, fitted with laser and missile weaponry and tazers if we want to capture. The prototype has pressed three tons with ease. Mass production can start on your word."

"Good. Do it. And the new Sentinels?"

"Parts for the stabilizers were disrupted and stolen."

"By who?"

"We don't know. Magneto, S.H.I.E.L.D, Hydra leftovers... We just don't know. They cannot find our factories though, I can assure you."

"Damnit..." Trask growled, sitting back down. "We don't need this right now... We need results! Something to protect decent humans from those... mockeries of humanity!"

"The good Reverend Striker has been spreading our good word." Clansey continued. "But Reverend Arthur has been promoting a peace between human and mutant."

"Fool." Trask snorted. "Try to undermine him, but keep in mind he's human. An ignorant one."

"I shall do what I can."

"As we all should..." Trask said. "Dismissed." He added as Clansey saluted before turning and walking away. Turning his chair again he looked back to the factory. "The war is coming. I will cleanse this planet clean of those mutants, wipe their genes from history! And in the end... Mankind... Shall thank me..."


	5. Player of the Year

Shout Outs

Shout Outs...

X00001: In the comics, yes. In Evolution it was never stated if her skeleton was or wasn't laced with it, only that she had 'gone through the weapon X process'.

j.d.: See above. Can you imagine the kind of shock you'd have breaking your fist on someone's face? Try explaining that one.

Proud to be an X-Nerd 2216: I just made his name up on the spot. Then I blinked and went: Hey, doesn't he write books?

0--0

"All right boys and girls." Logan said gruffly as five new arrivals, Dual, X-23, Anole, Cloud Nine and Siryn, gathered in front of the Danger Room. "This is gonna be a combat exercise, nothing too big today unless I feel like surprising you for the hell of it. Dual, you are the squad leader. In English that means you tell everyone what to do, not only to complete any objectives but to STAY ALIVE through it. Clear?"

"Yeah, I got that part." James replied.

"The suit you got on now is Forge's make; it'll shift when you do." Logan explained. "He's trying to do something about your day-to-day clothes, just in case, but this'll do for now." He added as James shifted to his female body, looking himself over as he adjusted the belt, his uniform shifting to hold his form snugly.

"Dunno who this Forge is, but he's gotta be a piece o' work." James said before returning to his male form.

"You don't know the HALF of it..." Logan muttered. "All right, wait here while I get up to observation and kick this thing on." He added before leaving the room.

"Ummm... Guys..." Abigail began. "I know X has claws and secret agent training stuff, and Dual has like five different black belts, and Anole has some lizard-like things he can do, but me and Siryn aren't exactly gonna break stone walls with our fists, ya know." She said, running a hand through her hair. "I mean, yeah, she's a big gun, but the FIRST time she did it she flopped over and the second she fell asleep just after leaving the room."

"I know, I know..." James sighed. "Okay, it's like this. We don't know WHAT Logan is gonna pull out of his ass, or even how much of it. So grab Siryn, and stay airborne and out of the damned way. Me, X and Anole will go toe to toe with whatever comes out, you stay out of the way. If we need Siryn to scream at something you can move her in for a big hit then get away."

"So she does nothing?" Laura, alias X-23 said, as she crossed her arms.

"No." James replied shaking his head before pointing upwards. "She's also our eye in the sky. She can tell us what's coming, from where, and at who. I figure the more we know the better."

"She's our scout then?" Laura asked.

"Bingo." James nodded. "I'm the heavy hitter, you're the assassin and Anole's annoyance and disruption."

"I'm an annoyance?" Victor asked.

"To everything we fight, yes."

"Got ya."

"**If you ladies are done jabbering..." **Logan called out through the intercom, sections of the wall folding out to create small overhangs for cover. **"We're starting off light. What you're about to face are robots that are meant to simulate humans. Hit them hard enough in the jaw and they drop like a person. From there..."** He continued as a wall panel opened allowing a dozen human sized and shaped robots to walk out, the simulated beings spreading out in a half circle. **"It gets better."**

"Fun..." Dual muttered cracking his knuckles. "X, stay close to me but stay on my right, Anole on my left. Cloudy grab Siryn and keep an eye on what I'm not."

"Got ya." Cloud Nine said, forming a cloud beneath her and pulling Siryn onto it before flying up into the air, above the battle as Laura unsheathed her claws.

"Okay, when I give the word charge and--" Dual began before X-23 let off a battle cry, running right at the mob of robots. "Or, you can ignore me..." He sighed before running over with Anole trailing, X-23 slashing two robots apart in short order before being struck by a third. Leaping into the air he was falling towards it only to be tackled by another. Grunting he tossed it aside, as X-23 dispatched her attacker.

"Anole's in trouble!" Cloud Nine called down to him as another robot tackled him. Looking past it he saw four robot's attacking his lizard-like friend.

"X, give him a hand!" Dual called out, throwing his own assailant into one coming behind X-23. He blocked a strike form another robot as a panel sent a second squad of robots out. "Now damnit!" He added, seeing X-23 continue to deal with other foes, himself kicking his new foe away. "So much for being a team..." He muttered as he ran over, crying out as he kicked away one of the robots. "Anole, back off, get your wind back then get ready to pull back!" He ordered, grabbing a second robot, spinning about before slamming it into another. "And for Pete's SAKE X-23, listen to what I'm damn well saying! Fall back to the other wall!" He called out seeing X-23 charge a second robot. "Damn little... Anole, fall back! Cloud Nine, gimmie some fog cover!" He added, switching to female form, rushing over towards X-23, licking a robot in the head before grabbing X-23, switching back to male before shoving her to the wall where Anole was running to, quickly re-shifting again to run to join them, Cloud Nine diving down and spraying the area with her fog.

"What was that for!?" X-23 shouted at him as she got back on her feet while Dual returned to his male form, frowning at her.

"Better question: What is your malfunction!?" Dual shouted back. "You gave up squad lead remember? I'm supposed to be the boss, and you're supposed to follow my lead!"

"I'm not anyone's weapon!" She screamed back.

"YOU ARE NOT MY WEAPON, YOU ARE MY TEAM MATE AND GOD DAMNED FRIEND LAURA!" Dual roared back, Laura's face taking on a stunned look. "We are a team. We FIGHT as a team, not as a bunch of people running about aimlessly! I ain't a military kinda guy, but I played enough online Halo to know you DON'T ignore the guy in charge without a damn good reason."

"...Fine..." X-23 said simply. "But..."

"Guys, can we have this discussion later..." Anole said as Cloud Nine's fog dissipated, nearly three dozen robots staring them down.

"You with me now?" Dual asked seeing her nod. "On my right. Stay close. Anole on my left. Watch each other's backs. On my word... GO!" He called out the three rushing into the crowd, Dual swinging at the first robot's head, knocking it off, before twisting around it, back kicking the next one, sending it into another robot. Laura cried out, cutting off a machine's head before kicking it away, turning her body in a spin and slashing the face of another robot. Anole wrapping his tongue about another as he ran to a line of robots, nearly using it as a pivot point as he ran along them, slamming his feet into their chests, kicking them away before grounding his feet tossing the robot away.

"Now THIS is how you fight!" Anole called out as another larger wave of robots entered the room, stomping to them. "Uh oh..." He said, backing up.

"Anole, back up X and pull back! Cloud Nine, bring Siryn over!" Dual called out, kicking away a robot as he elbowed another, Anole rushing around him to kick away another automation that was rushing X-23.

"Come on!" He said, using his tongue to grab the legs of another robot, tripping it up before X-23 began to run back to the far wall, Anole following just before Dual did as well, Cloud Nine landing behind them, setting Siryn down.

"Okay 'Boss'." X-23 said. "We're outnumbered ten to one; we can't take on all this!"

"You're forgetting." Dual replied. "Siryn is more 'area of effect' than us. And chasing us back here just got them all lined up... Knock'em down Big Mouth!" He added as Siryn nodded taking a deep breath as she screamed right at the massive gathering of robots, the numbers quickly either falling of blowing apart before Dual tapped her shoulder. The girl halted her attack, panting as she dropped to her knees. "See. Big gun."

"**Don't think that was very smart of ya, Bub."** Logan said through the intercom. **"A five year old could make up a plan where you gather everything up and drop a bomb on 'em." **He added as a large hole opened up inside the middle of the room. The place shook slightly as a massive purple armoured machine, thirty five feet tall rose up towering over them. It lifted it's heavily armoured foot as it turned to face them, it's step shaking the room slightly. **"Surprise, Bub."**

"Okay, this place doesn't seem as fun as it did a minute ago." Anole said as the machine raised it's arm.

"Cloud, grab Siryn and get to cover under an overhang!" Dual shouted. "Anole, X, get it's attention!" He called out rushing forward, Anole and X-23 following him as Cloud Nine grabbed the still exhausted Siryn, ducking under an overhang.

0--0

"Isn't this a bit much Logan?" Ororo asked, crossing her arms. "They're still mostly untrained, except Laura." She said, watching as X-23 and Anole attacking the machine's legs, Dual jumping up to kick it's torso only to be swatted away by the machine.

"I ain't here ta coddle ;em darling, just to train them." Logan replied. "Sides, they can take it down, if Hotshot can get the Kid to work with him."

"He handled her little insubordination quite well." Ororo replied.

"Shouldn't have happened." Logan shrugged, watching as Anole dodged a laser blast, Dual returning to his feet and charging leaping up to kick it's knee as Laura slashed the ankle.

"Give them time."

0--0

"Lower joints are too armoured!" Laura called out. "We can't beat it! Not like this!"

"Yes we can!" Dual called back. "We just need to-- Whoa!" He cried out, leaping away from a blast and turning female. "Get to cover, regroup!" He called out, running over and scooping X-23 up, running behind an overhang, Anole ducking behind another as he turned male again.

"Listen 'Boss', we' can't beat this right now!" X-23 said as Dual looked around their cover at the machine aiming it's weapons at it. "Everything we can get at is too armoured, I can't slash through it; I don't have the strength for that."

"What about it's head." Dual replied. "Looks less armoured."

"How are we supposed to get up there?" X-23 replied. "I can't get high enough, nothing to jump from! And when you tried it you got swatted away"

"Simple. You fly."

"Cloud Nine? That thing's too well programmed." X-23 spat back. "It's not an idiot."

"I never said she'd be flying you." He replied causing his team mate to utter a 'huh'. "I have a plan. I call it..."

0--0

"Logan, stop the simulation." Ororo sighed. "I don't think--"

"**Cloud Nine, get it's attention!"** Dual called out, his voice heard over the speaker.

"**WHAT!?"** The flyer replied with a shriek.

"**Set Siryn down and attack it, dance for it, drop your pants, WHATEVER! Get it's attention!"**

"What is he up to?" Ororo asked as Logan allowed himself a grin.

0--0

"Gawd, I am so gonna die..." Cloud Nine said as she flew from her cover behind the massive robot. "Okay, attack, attack... If I force my cloud stuff out instead of letting it flow..." She began pointed a fist at the machine a fist-sized cloud firing at it. "YES!" She called out as the cloud bounced off the robot with a dull 'thunk'. "Uh..." She muttered as the machine began to turn about to look at her. "Not good..." She muttered as Dual and X-23 ran out from cover.

"You ready?" He asked as X-23 nodded once, grabbing his extended hands. Spinning about in place with a grunt, he held her like he was attempting hammer throw. "I call this... My Fastball Special!" He called out, throwing her with a mighty heave at the robot, the clone flying through the air, claws bared as she slashed at the machine's neck, the mechanical beast flinching as the weight of the head began to tear the remainder of the head off of it's neck falling to the ground.

"Timber!" Anole muttered, Cloud Nine diving to catch X-23 as the machine fell backwards into the center of the room, flat on it's back.

"Boo. Yah." Dual said as he crossed his arms.

0--0

"Okay, I'll admit it." Logan drawled out as James practiced his roundhouse kicks on a punching bag, clad in sweat pants and a tank top. "That was a slick move Hotshot, using your own team mate as a javelin."

"Uh-huh." James grunted. "Get the 'you did kinda okay stuff' over with and start the 'you screwed it up stuff'."

"You asked for it." Logan snorted. "You did well enough, but it ain't gonna cut it. You face a real mob and it ain't gonna be as easy as tellin' a little girl to scream. Not to mention you're team's lack of teamwork."

"I'll work on that." James replied giving the bag a harder kick before stopping. "What else?"

"Don't get cocky Hotshot." Logan grumbled before turning around. "People get hurt that way."

"Hey, I only talk smack when I can back it up."

"Keep telling yourself that." Logan snorted as he walked to the door, Laura stepping aside before entering the room as James grabbed a towel.

"...Uhh... Sir?" She began.

"This ain't a military Laura." James replied, dabbing at his face. "And I ain't a commander or nothin'. Don't go calling me sir, we're friends right."

"About that..." Laura began. "I'm... Not sure how to put it, but I'm sorry for how I acted. In the Danger Room." She said, leaning against a wall. "I... I broke away from Hydra so I wouldn't be used as a weapon anymore. I don't know how to say this, but..."

"The whole combat exercise thing feels like being trained to be used as a weapon again?" James asked.

"Yeah..." Laura sighed. "I understand why we are trained. People will want to hurt us. Trask will want to hurt us. Mutants. We need to be able to defend ourselves. But it... brings back bad memories."

"I'd be lying if I said I understood." James said walking over to her. "But I am here. If you... need to talk about it, or anything."

"That friends thing, huh?"

"Yep." James said, smiling. "I look out for you, you look out for me. We help each other, talk to each other and learn to understand each other."

"I never had friends really." Laura sighed. "I know you guys call me one, but I'm not sure if I deserve it..."

"After your life, you don't just deserve some. You need some..."

"No I don't." Laura barked back. "...But I guess it can't hurt..." She added. "I'm just... I just wanted to explain why I ignored orders. I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

"X, let me tell you somethin'." James began. "I'd rather have someone willing to tell me when I'm full of crap and telling me to shove it than a mindless yes-man. Just do as I say in these things while it has a point. Just... Let's just try and work together... Okay?" He added, extending his hand.

"Okay." Laura replied, taking it in her own and shaking it. "By the way... What DO friends do outside of a Danger Room?"

"Plenty of things really."

0--0

"Eight-ball, side pocket, on my side of the table." Victor said, leaning over the pool table with his cue stick, Ray and Bobby standing nearby as Tabitha whispered into Rahne's ear on the couch. He pulled the cue stick back before thrusting it forwards hitting the cue ball and sending it to bank off the opposing side of the table to strike the black eight-ball, gently rolling it into the named pocket as Ray and Bobby groaned.

"Oh come on!" Ray whined. "Could you at least PRETEND to suck for one game?"

"Nope." Victor grinned. "Back home kids would bet candy and cookies on these games. And I love my cookies. So I got damn good to get me some cookies."

"So, when are you going to graduate up to cash?" Bobby asked. "Ya know, so I avoid playing against you at that time."

"Lord only knows." Victor shrugged as Rahne walked over to the table, finger on her chin. "Maybe I'll go pro someday." He said, gathering the balls up and racking them.

"Ye can certainly work the stick." Rahne added, leaning on the table. "Can ye teach a little lass how ta play?"

"Sure thing." Victor said, setting the cue ball in position and passing her the cue stick. "Line up a shot." He said as she bit her lower lip gently, leaning across the table, lining the stick up with the white ball. "No, no." He said, moving behind her, reaching about her to adjust her hands. "Hold it further back."

"Dude, doesn't Rahne know how to play?" Ray whispered to Bobby.

"Yeah." Bobby whispered back. "That's not the point." He added as Rahne pressed herself back slightly.

"...Is she hitting on him?" Ray asked.

"The Iceman says: no duh." Booby replied. "A wolf and a lizard. Weird."

"You get here yesterday, or what?" Ray retorted. "We got a German fuzz-ball, a chick that walks through stuff, two people who can read your mind, a southern goth chick and a guy who can change genders like you make ice cubes. This place is Weirdsville U.S.A. Population: Varies depending on what hit Jamie today."

"Point taken." Booby added as Laura sat on the couch next to Tabitha as James walked over to the entertainment center.

"What is this?" Laura asked looking at the television as James put a disk into a standing black council, walking back to the couch passing her a matching controller with a small disk in the center, a green X in the middle and the upper right edge glowing, James walking back with his own, the upper left glowing.

"It's called a video game." Tabitha replied as she popped a stick of gum into her mouth. "What ya popping in?"

"Smackdown vs. Raw Two Thousand and Eight." James replied as he sat down. "See if we can't get ole' Laura here to have some fun."

"With a wrestling game?" Tabitha said blinking, before moving to the television, grabbing another controller. "Hell, make it three player! More the merrier!"

0--0

"Oh, the humanity!" James let out as his avatar Triple H was slammed with John Cena's FU, under the command of Laura.

"God damn lovin'..." Tabitha uttered. Her own character was the Great Khali, stating that bigger was always better. Currently her wrestler was bleeding a pool on the mat as Cena pinned Triple H, winning the Triple Threat Match. The fact that the other girl giggled annoyed her, admittedly, but it was all in good fun. "You picked up a controller for the first time in your LIFE and in less than half an hour you're knocking the sense out of us."

"No kidding." Victor added as he and Rahne leaned on the back of the couch. "Guess it's more the 'motion in the ocean' than the 'size of the boat', huh?"

"Well size still never hurts." Tabitha huffed before standing up, dropping the controller.

"Dibs!" Victor cried out, jumping over the couch and landing on the seat, grabbing the controller.

"Well ye ain't leaving me out here, are ye boyo?" Rahne added before walking over to the television, grabbing one of her own.

"So... What do you guys think about a Royal Rumble?" Victor asked.

0--0

"Unlucky number one, huh?" James said as he leaned back against the couch. Laura's current avatar, Kane, had beaten the living hell out of everything that had entered the ring. The fact he still continued to do so, despite entering at number one, was impressive. His character, Edge, had entered at number twenty and lasted a respectable while before getting tossed out by Kane. Victor's Sandman had entered at twenty three and was eliminated before twenty five even got notice to approach the ring. Although he had complained, loudly, that it was only because the Rated R Superstar and the Big Red Machine ganged up on him, glaring at James and Laura. Rahne's own pick, the legendary Scottish wrestler 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper entered at number twenty nine. Thirty had come, and Finlay had found himself gone before anyone could blink.

"Okay, Laura officially kicks WAY too much ass in this game." Victor added as Kane chokeslammed the Rowdy One into the mat. Lifting his opponent up Kane used a strong Irish Whip to send the battered Piper over the top rope and down to the floor.

"If Roberto had a record on this one, it'd be dead and buried." Victor said.

"Aye." Rahne chuckle. "It'd be havin' a tombstone sayin' 'She came. She saw. She knocked me out with a bloody chair.'"

"This is really... Well, fun." Laura admitted. "What else is there?"

0--0

"Captain America didn't do as well." Victor remarked, watching Nazi after Nazi fall to Laura in Call of Duty Three.

"I was trained for this stuff, remember?" The clone replied. "A game stupid A.I. can't match the living hell Hydra put me through.

"Point." James added.

0--0

"Behold! X-23!" James bellowed as brown imps ran across the screen at the beck and call of an armoured warlord, assaulting hapless sheep. "Overlord of Evil!"

"...I'd rather kill the Nazis." Laura admitted as she continued to play Overlord.

0--0

"Ninjas rule." Victor said.

"Especially with all the panty shots, huh?" James added with a grin as Kasumi kicked Bass on screen, the bottom of her outfit kicking aside as Laura inputted an impressive combo.

"No, ninja's just flat out rule." Victor replied as the clone continued to play Dead or Alive Four.

0--0

"She seems to be adapting well." Xavier said as he wheeled over to Logan, who watched his daughter play another game, Gears of War."

"As long as she doesn't become addicted to those things." Logan replied. "Still, she's taken to things pretty well so far."

"Indeed." Xavier responded. "I would have thought it would take her longer, but children just seem to know how to bond with one another, despite their origins."

"She's got her bad moments though." Logan snorted. "Disregarded Hotshot during the start of the Danger Room session."

"You weren't exactly a team player yourself when you got here." Xavier said with a smile before turning his seat around. "Give her time."

"Yeah." Logan added before walking away. "Time don't fix everything. But it sure does help."


	6. No Hood Like Brotherhood

Proud to be an X-Nerd 2216: That'll happen

Proud to be an X-Nerd 2216: That'll happen. Sooner or later.

X00001: For Call to the Dragon's you can e-mail, PM or use the forum to get it to me.

BladeMasterAd: Dual is my OC. The others are from Marvel Comics, Cloud Nine is from Avengers: Initiative, Anole from New X-Men and Siryn from a number of X-Titles. Their characters might have been changed a bit for use in the Evo-Verse, but I'm trying to stay true to their characters.

To Everyone: Please do review the fic, I'd like an indication on how well I am doing with this.

0--0

"Pray my fellow people!" The reverend on the television bellowed out, hands in the air as he appealed to the audience. "Pray to God to help save us from this... CANCER in mankind! Mutants, the Sons and Daughters of Satan live among us dear faithful, but fear not! Our Lord shall cast from our land these foul, twisted souls to damnation where they belong! He will save us if we only pray to him and serve him as the God fearing people we are, carrying out his will! His divine plan! Our Lord--"

"Can someone PLEASE turn that SHIT off?!" James groaned as he spun his spoon about in his bowl of cereal, other residents of the mansion getting their food. "I mean, pardon my French, but it is too god damned early in the bloody god damned morning for this bloody god damned bull shit!"

"Tell me about it." Logan said, using the remote to turn the channel to a news cast. "A right winged nut case ain't what I need to listen to."

"And that's why I'm not religious." James added with a sigh, spooning some cereal as Laura walked in. "It can get so freaking twisted when ya got a crack head like that leading the herd, if ya know what I mean."

"What's this about?" Laura grumbled as she looked in a cupboard at the boxes of cereal, Kitty and Kurt walking in as well.

"New televangelist on the tube." James grumbled, eating some cereal and swallowing it down. "Claiming Mutants are devil-spawn, devil worshippers, children of the devil, in league with the devil... Basically bad stuff that involves the devil."

"Mein Gott." Kurt grumbled as well. "Now my own religion is rallying against me..."

"Like to take a pitchfork to that Striker joker." James replied. "Wouldn't solve anything, but it'd be damned satisfying."

"I'll get the torches." Kitty added, grabbing some Corn Flakes. "Give Kurt a chance to be on the outside looking in for a change."

"No, I vouldn't want that on anyone." Kurt replied shaking his head. "Been there, done that... Barley got away with the t-shirt!"

"Welcome to the new minority people." Logan snorted. "First Blacks, then Jews, then Muslims, now Mutants."

"By the way Dad." Laura began. "When are we--"

"Ask me after school."

"That's what you said yesterday."

0--0

"Come on you guys, are we just going to lie around ALL DAY?!" Pietro demanded as Fred and Todd lazed on the couch in the boarding house, Lance claiming a chair.

"Yes!" The three replied in unison.

"What's the point, yo?" Todd asked. "We ain't got nothin' better to do. We got kicked outta school, again. Your old man ain't done squat since Apocalypse bit it. The Acolytes are just hanging out with him. And the boss-lady is who knows where."

"Wellthatdoesn'tmeanwejustsitaboutlikelazyslobs!" Pietro replied at high speed as Wanda walked down the stairs. "We should go do SOMETHING!"

"Shut up Pietro." Wanda replied before leaning against the wall. "Besides, it's not like father's going to send over one of his guys with a job or something." She added before the door was kicked in.

"Alright there mates!" St. John Allerdyce, better known as the Acolyte Pyro walked in. "Magneto's got a job for you boys."

"About time." Pietro grinned as the other boys groaned, John walking to the table and dropping a folder on it. "What's dad want done?" He asked as the Brotherhood boys gathered about.

"Xavier, the bloke, got himself a new batch o' Mutants." John began. "Magneto wants us to go out and attack 'em one on one. He wants to know what they all do."

"Come on man..." Todd whined. "We'll just get our butts handed to us. Again. And we got a little unofficial cease-fire going on, and I like it, yo."

"Shut up Toad." Pietro replied. "I say it's about time we went and fought us a bunch of X-Geeks."

"Hey, my girlfriend is an 'X-Geek' Motor-Mouth." Lance replied. "And sides, what's the point? Could just have that thief guy, Gambit, spy on 'em."

"Gambit's AWOL mate." John replied. "Contract ended and he packed up and left without even leaving a note on the fridge."

"So, who are these guys anyway?" Fred asked as Wanda finally walked over to look.

"Magneto's still working on getting names on 'em." John responded. "Four of them go to your school, so just watch them as they leave, wait until their alone. This bloke is yours to take on Freddy." He said, passing the large mutant a picture of a youth with a brown ponytail. "A little Shelia for Lance." He added, passing him a picture of a blonde haired girl. "Another for the Toad." He continued, passing Todd a picture of a brown haired girl. "A bloke for Pietro to fight." John added, passing another picture to the speedster, a spiky haired youth. "And I got the little Sheila who goes to middle school." He added, setting down a picture of a young red-haired girl.

"...Anyone wanna trade?" Todd asked.

"Hey come on man!" Pietro sighed. "Get with the program! These guys are new! We can take 'em!"

"I'm looking at this and everything in my gut is sayin' do not mess with that chick." Todd replied. "I ain't gonna like it, yo."

"Well your gonna do it." John said. "Or you go to Magneto and tell 'em--"

"Okay, okay!" Toad replied. "Aw man, this'll suck..."

0--0

"School still sucks." Laura grumbled as she adjusted her book bag as she, James, Abigail and Victor walked out of the school.

"Ya think?" Abigail sighed. "Man chem was rough. I'm heading out to the park, anyone wanna come with me?"

"Sorry, but I'll pass." James replied. "I'm off to the mall, wanna troll about for a bit."

"I'm gonna go explore the town." Laura added. "See what else is around."

"I'm just going to hang out somewhere." Victor said. "Maybe there's a skate park nearby?"

0--0

"Okay, there are the new X-Geeks!" Quicksilver began with a grin, as he and the Brotherhood watched Xavier new students leave the school. "And they're splitting up! This is TOO perfect. You know who to follow, so do it!"

"Do we really need uniforms for this, yo?" Toad asked. "We stand out like a sore thumb."

"More than usual anyway." Avalanche added as he cleaned his visor-bowl.

"Shut up and go!" Quicksilver replied before running off at super speed.

"Yeah, let's do this!" Blob added. "I want to hurt something anyway."

0--0

"Kinda quiet here." Abigail said as she walked along a path in the park. "Nice... Peaceful..."

"Let's change that." She heard as the ground began to shake.

"What the...? An earthquake?" Abigail gasped as she turned her head to see an older boy in a brown suit with a bowl-like visor on his head.

"No. An Avalanche!" The boy replied as a crack formed under the girl making her shriek out before forming a cloud under here and rising over the shaking ground. "What the...?"

"So you can shake the ground." Abigail said. "What can you do against someone above it?"

"Ah... Hey, well... You can't hurt me either!" Avalanche replied as he pointed a finger at the girl.

"Oh yeah!?" Abigail replied, her clouds forming in her hands before throwing them at the boy. "Take this!" She cried out, the puff-ball hitting his chest, causing him to flinch.

"Ow! That stings!"

"And this! And This!" Abigail continued as she kept throwing puff-balls at him, Avalanche crying out as he put his arms up in defence before running away, the girl on the cloud giving chase.

0--0

"Hey Kitty." Jean began as she sat down next to the girl on a bench in the park. "I thought you and Lance were going to meet up." She added as Kitty sighed.

"Like, yeah but he called earlier." She replied, brushing a lock of hair away. "Said he had a job to do."

"A job?"

"I think it's for Magneto." Kitty replied. "I already told the Professor, so he's, like, keeping an eye out for stuff. I hope Lance knows better than to pull something stupid."

"Well, Magneto hasn't done anything since Apocalypse..." Jean said. "Maybe it's just a harmless little thing?" She added with a forced smile.

"Ouch! Ow! I said I'm sorry!" They heard, turning to look as Lance, in costume, ran from a flying Abigail who was throwing puffballs at him. "Come on, I wasn't going to really hurt you! Honest!"

"Or not..." Kitty growled out standing up and stomping off towards Lance.

"Oh boy..." Jean said to herself, wondering how Kitty managed to look intimidating despite her petite frame.

"LANCE ALVERS!" Kitty shouted out, getting both the attention of the boy and the girl on the cloud.

"Kitty!" Lance cried out, chuckling nervously. "Uhh, it's not what you-- OWW!" He cried out as Kitty grabbed his ear, tugging his face down to her level. "Ow-ow-ow-ow!"

"YOU HAVE A LOT OF NERVE MISTER!" Kitty screamed out into his face.

"Maybe I should leave now..." Abigail muttered softly as she began to float away.

0--0

"Cool..." Victor mused, looking down at the nearby skate park. "Get me some rollerblades and I can have some fun!" He said before something zoomed by him. "What the?"

"Hey there, X-Freak!" Quicksilver said as he leaned against a tree as Victor turned to face him. "Think fast!" He called out, his frame moving at super-speed, shoving Victor to the ground.

"OW!" Victor cried out before getting back to his feet. "What's the HELL is your problem!?"

"My problem is you ain't eating dirt yet!" Quicksilver replied charging Victor again, the boy moving out of the way and de-activating his holo-watch while using his powers, fading from few as his foe turned about. "Hey! The hell?" Quicksilver said, zooming about the area quickly before zooming back. "He vanished!"

"Not quite!" Quicksilver heard as what seemed to be a tongue wrapped about his ankles, yanking him off his feet tossing him away.

"Wah!" He cried out before landing head first into a garbage can, legs sticking out, kicking. "Gross! Come on man, let me outta here!" He cried out as Victor's figure returned to view before he turned his watch back on as he walked over to Quicksilver, booting the can onto it's side.

"Hey, let's go for a 'roll' through the park." Victor punned, stepping onto the can before using his feet to make it roll.

"Hey! Stop that!" Quicksilver cried out, squirming. "I'm stuck! Oh GOD was that a used CONDOM? I'm gonna be sick!" He called out as Victor sped up. "And dizzy!"

"Ohhh... A hill!" Victor called out as he hopped off the can.

"No! No kicking down the hill! No kicking down the hill!" Quicksilver begged. "Please, no kicking down the hill!"

"What's that, you wanna be kicked down the hill?" Victor said, rearing his foot back. "Okay then, happy landings!" He added before kicking the can down the hill, watching it roll down, and picking up speed.

"THIS SUCKS!" Quicksilver cried out as the can rolled along with it's unwilling passenger.

0--0

"What the?" Jean said as a trashcan rolled by. "What is going on here?"

"And another thing, why in the hell do you guys listen to him, can't you stand up to him or what!?" Kitty continued, ignoring the rolling trashcan.

"Ear! Ear is hurting very badly now!" Lance whined.

0--0

"Wonder what's for dinner...?" James mused as he walked down the street. "Hope it's not seafood. I hate seafood." He added before someone grabbed his shoulder, all but throwing him into an alley! "Wha-- Oof!" He led out as landed on his back before kipping up to his feet, book bag dropping to the ground as he brought his fists up. "Whoa..." He said, looking at his massive, in terms of both weight and height, opponent. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm gonna pound you down X-Man." His foe replied, flexing his meaty arms. "I'm the Blob."

"Fitting, you look like a Sumo Wrestler." James remarked as Blob charged him throwing a fist which he blocked, his face twisting in surprise as the force of the blow forced him to skid back almost six feet. "And stronger too!" He added, before charging, throwing his own punch into the man's gut, watching as his fat absorbed the blow harmlessly before stepping back and frowning at the lack of effectiveness of his attack.

"You can't hurt the Blob!" He opponent said, grinning as he leaned down before charging James with arms outstretched.

"Maybe not in that fat gut o' yours!" James replied. "But what about you're thick head?!" He called out, snapping off a near-lightning quick roundhouse kick to the Blob's head, the impact staggering his foe before he followed it up with a spinning jump kick, slamming his other foot into the bigger man's jaw.

"Ouch!" Blob let out as he staggered back. Roaring out he charged at his opponent again who squatted down, arms going over their target as James used his foe's momentum along with his sheer strength to throw his over head, Blob crying out before slamming down into the ground.

"Not too skilled huh?" James remarked as Blob staggered back to his feet, preparing to charge again. "Too bad, from what I'd know you'd be a killer Sumo Wrestler. They're treated like rock stars in Japan, if I recall correctly.

"Wah?" The Blob said, pausing. "Really?" He said as James shrugged.

"I'm not an expert in Sumo or Japan or whatever, just what I heard." He replied. "It is to Japan like football is here. You get up in the ranks and you'd be a star."

"Really?" Blob continued, scratching his chin. "Whoa... And I got the right build you said?" He asked as James nodded. "Huh... Wonder how I could be a Sumo..." He mused before walking off past James as he shook his head.

"Weird dude."

0--0

"Oiy, is that the Sheila there?" Pyro asked himself as he watched the young girl walk down under a tunnel. "Time to do this." He added before following the girl into the tunnel, activating his flame throwers and holding them in the air, turning the spewing flame into a clawed monster, the light given off alerting the red-haired girl who turned around, shrieking out. "Good day ya lil' Sheila! Fancy a barbie?" He grinned as the girl began to shake a little.

"What? Who are you?" She asked, backing away as Pyro stepped forwards.

"...Okay, can't hurt her, just need to make her use her powers." Pyro said softly to himself. "Guess I'll just play it by ear..." He said, sending his fire-beast out to stomp menacingly towards the girl.

"No... Go away!" Theresa begged. "Go away, go away!" She repeated as the heat licked her face. "Go AWAY!" She screamed out, a sonic blast erupting from her mouth, the force of the sonic scream putting the flames out, Pyro screaming out before he was blasted off his feet, before being flung into a puddle. Panting the girl turned about and fled.

"Crikey..." Pyro muttered as he sat up. "Quite the set a lungs on that Sheila..." He uttered before fainting.

0--0

Laura sniffed the air. At first she thought something around town stunk. A rotting piece of garbage in a can, a broken sewer line, something. But the more it hit her nose the less she liked it, and what it implied.

It was body odour. Normally she didn't mind it, everyone had it and she developed an odd 'taste' to it, possibly due to her animalistic nature. The sweat of her peers ranged from pleasant to tolerable. James, for example, smelled very nice, as did Kitty and Abigail. Mister McCoy, on the other hand, smelled less than nice, and Ray's scent rubbed her the wrong way.

But this smell was worse. It wasn't just a bad smell, it was terrible. And it was following her. Which meant someone who smelled very bad was following her, and failing at being subtle about it. She quickly ducked into an alleyway, quickly running about a dumpster, wedging herself between it and the wall before forcing her body to calm itself, her breathing coming slower as her senses expanded.

Heartbeats pumped out, one noticeably closer. That one sped up, as if in surprise or fear. Two feet hit the ground, a long fall from the sounds of it. He took a couple steps, no sounds to indicate injury. This person must have been a mutant, with stronger legs or otherwise increased durability like James. Then it hit her nose.

Fear. Her stalker was afraid. Then he spoke. "Man, I don't like this, yo..." He said, walking down the alley. "Magneto wants them checked out, Magneto needs to know." He said in a mocking tone. "Magneto needs to go jump in a lake if ya ask me..." He added, stopping. "Where is she, yo?" He uttered as Laura slid out of her hiding spot, silently walking behind the short, smelly boy. She allowed the claws in her right forearm to extend out past her wrist, popping out of her hand with a distinct 'SNIKT' sound causing the boy to stiffen

"Right here." Toad heard as his body began to shake, turning about slowly to face the girl he was tailing.

She wasn't Wanda-hot in his opinion, but given her leather skirt, bustier, boots and gloves and mud brown hair she was lovely mix of tomboy and tough biker chick. He may have even checked her out longer if it wasn't for the two very Wolverine-like metal claws coming out of her closed fist. As it was he only knew one thing.

He was in deep doo-doo now. "Hi there..." He nervously muttered. "Care to... go for a stroll?" He asked as she unsheathed another set of claws, the weapons popping out of her left fist as she stalked towards him, the Toad scrambling back, tripping over a can and landing on his back. Before he could move the girl was on him, boot placed firmly on his chest, another 'SNIKT' heard as a metal claw popped out of her boot, an inch away from his nose.

Laura meanwhile was about to make her message to the stalker clear as a new smell hit her nose. "What's that smell?" She hissed out.

"Umm... doogie?" Toad offered with a nervous grin as Laura finally figured out what the new scent was.

"...You shit yourself?" Laura snarled as the additional scent of urine hit her nose, rearing back her right hand. Toad let out a girly shriek as she thrust her claws towards his face, stopping her motion before the claws would pierce his eyes. With a long sigh the boy's eyes rolled into the back of his head, fainting. "God, that reeks." Laura said, waving a hand as she turned about and walked away.

0--0

"Hey there Professor." James said as he walked in to the manor, Xavier approaching him in his wheelchair. "Stupid thing happened to be on the way home."

"You were attacked." Xavier replied, leaning back in his wheelchair.

"...Could you please keep outta my skull?" James said as he crossed his arms. "It's kinda private up there."

"I didn't need my powers to know that." Xavier replied. "Laura, Abigail, Victor and even Theresa were attacked by the Brotherhood, along with Pyro under Magneto's orders."

"That crazy Darth Vader kook?" James replied as he lowered his arms. "What for? Is anyone hurt?"

"I assume he's keeping tabs on who's in the mansion here." Xavier replied. "And no, they all fended for themselves quite well. Although Abigail did have some help..." He added with a touch of humour, remembering how Kitty said she 'interrogated' Lance.

"Good." James replied. "I don't care none if they stir crap up with me, but the others, especially Terry? That's asking for a beat down."

"James..." Xavier sighed.

"I know, I know, violence don't solve nothin'." James said. "But they'd have time to think about it while they nurse some bruises."

"Be that as it may, there is another thing." Xavier began. "Forge thinks he's found how to adapt your normal clothing to your shape shifting abilities." He added, turning his chair about, gesturing for James to follow. "I know you feel embarrassed about that aspect of your powers, but it's nothing to be ashamed of really. Think of the new horizons and opportunities it offers you."

"Professor, have you had a period before?" James asked as Xavier blinked, the elevator in the side of the stairway opening up, the two stepping inside. "Every time I shift that little cycle starts up and stops, starts and stops. I go back to male it don't restart or nothin', it just freezes until I shift again. Trust me, I KNOW damn well. And I DON'T like thinkin' on it."

"Well at the very least you understand, how shall we say, a women's suffering better than any man." Xavier replied as the lift rose to the second floor, opening up as they walked out. "If you find yourself in a relationship with a young lady I'm sure she'll appreciate the understanding you must have."

"Glad someone would." James muttered as they reached his room, opening the door as he saw a Native-American youth working on a device in the wall. He didn't know what to look at, the two foot wide, three and a half feet tall rectangular metal panel that was now on the wall near his bed, or the fact the that the boy's arm looked to be a strange and alien tool.

"Hey there Prof, just finishing it up here!" The youth said as he closed the panel, his tool morphing back into an arm as he turned to look at James and Xavier. "You must be James, nice to meet you." He said with a wave. "I'm Forge."

"Likewise dude." James replied, stepping forward to shake his hand. "The hell is this?" He asked as Forge pushed a button on the side of the panel, the cover of it folding down before a section folded away from it, leaving a rectangular gap.

"Okay, I was told to figure out a way to make all your clothes shift when you shift. So I came up with this!" He said, gesturing to the open device. "Set a shirt, pants, underwear, socks, whatever in there." He said before pointing into the wall that was holding it, another panel lifting up. "Shoes, boots and anything not flat will go in there. This thing will weave micro-fibres and nanotechnology into your clothing and will sense when you shape shift and gender shift, reforming the clothing around you to fit. Hell, as long as you can put it on, any clothing you jam in there will shift to fit you, even if it's bigger than what you would wear in your guy form! Only activates when you shift though. Get a set of clothing run through, try it out!"

"...Hell, nothing to lose I guess." James replied, going to his dresser and pulling out a full change of clothes. Forge quickly taught him how to use and operate the device, now dubbed the Weave Shifter, and got the clothes imbued with the high technology. Forge and Xavier stepped out long enough for him to change into the red t-shirt and jeans, boxers and socks on as well as an old pair of sneakers. As the two stepped in again he adjusted his clothes. "Don't feel no different."

"Try shifting then." Forge said as James nodded, allowing his body to shift gender, his clothes shifting along with his, hugging his now female curves. "Whoa. Hey, this ain't right..." He said, feeling himself.

"I made sure to program your shirts to be bit tighter around the chest in female form, as well as thicker." Forge explained. "To help keep you from, how shall we say, flopping about, and to make sure your nipples aren't poking out."

"Oh, that ain't the problem..." James let out feeling inside of his jeans. "Why are my boxers now PANTIES!?" He all but shouted out as Forge began to sweat.

"Forge?" Xavier exclaimed turning to face the inventor who tugged at his collar.

"Well, I figured if he gets attacked, or need to change like that no reason to make people ask weird questions..." Forge chuckled. "Not that I think it would happen but... You're going to kill me now, huh?"

"I'll settle for maiming." James said, shifting back to male, idly noting his boxers were boxers again.

"Well you're all set up now... So I'll be going! For a long time!" Forge said backing away. "Bye!" He exclaimed before running off, James quickly giving chase as Xavier sighed.

"Never a dull day..."


	7. Unfriendly Faces

Shout Outs

Shout Outs...

X00001: Hope to please.

j.d.: I try not to tell what will happen.

Proud to be an X-Nerd 2216: I liked how Laura's 'fight' turned out myself.

The Notorious SMP: Trask, in the original comics and Evolution, created the Sentinels. In Ultimate Marvel he, again, made the Sentinels and stole the cancer cure project, the Venom suit, which was made by the fathers of Peter Parker and Eddie Brock.

Note: Cloud Nine's real full name was revealed to be Abigail Boylen. The fic has made the appropriate changes to accommodate this.

0--0

"Why are we driving down this way again?" Laura asked in the passenger seat of Scott's car as Abigail and Kurt sat in the back, Jean at the driver's wheel. Why they were heading down the street was beyond her, only that she had to go along with it to get a ride home.

"I need to drop of Sarah's homework." Jean replied, watching the road. "We were friends since before mutants were exposed and she was one of the few people who didn't mind me being one. Since she's sick someone has to drop it off."

"Hey, I know this street!" Kurt exclaimed. "It's Amanda's!"

"Who?" Laura asked in a bored tone.

"Kurt's girlfriend." Jean replied. "Or is it ex-girlfriend?"

"Ex officially." Kurt replied with a sigh. "Unofficially still together. She says she's been pressuring her parents, and that they aren't exactly breaking out the shotguns to hunt me down so we might get official again."

"Hooray for you." Laura sighed. She didn't get it. Why did people spend so much time perusing the opposite sex? Or talking about the opposite sex? She understood the need to mate and multiply, and even care for young, but why all the trouble? Still it must have been worth it. She had caught Jean and Scott making out in an empty storage closet and they had seemed... very happy until she stumbled over them. Was that the point maybe, to find someone to make you happy, to make someone happy? Somehow she didn't think she'd be attracting much male attention, most girls didn't have metal claws.

She would have continued her musings if a scent hadn't reached her nose. Lifting her head she began to sniff.

"What, someone farted?" Abigail said, noticing.

"It vasn't me!" Kurt called out.

"Stop the car!" Laura said, Jean quickly bringing the vehicle to a halt.

"What is it Laura?" She asked as the clone continued sniffing.

"Smoke..." Laura uttered. "I smell smoke! There's a fire nearby!"

"That doesn't sound good!" Abigail mentioned as Jean put her hands to her temples, scanning the area. Her eyebrows knitted as she reached out to a fearful young woman, quickly realizing it was Amanda Sefton.

'Speak of the devil...' Jean thought idly as she touched her mind. _"Amanda, can you hear me?"_ She called out telepathically.

"_Jean? Jean Grey?" _She heard in response. _"Thank god, we need help! Our house is burning! A mob... Oh no, Mom! Please, HELP!"_

"Kurt, call the fire department, its Amanda's house!" Jean cried out as Kurt gasped out, fumbling for his cell phone as Jean stepped on the gas. "Abi, the house is down that way!" She pointed out as the car sped forwards. "Go see what's happening!" She added as the blonde girl nodded, undoing her seat belt and standing up, a cloud forming under her as she flew off.

0--0

"I wouldn't have found the place... if not for the bonfire." Abigail muttered, taking her cell phone out as she flew over the burning house, smoke rising into the air. A small mob was gathered at the front wielding clubs and torches that were thrown into the house all while Abigail used the camera in her phone to take pictures, trying to get a shot of what appeared to be the ringleader, each person with a red button of their chests reading 'FOH'.

"_We're almost there Abi, what's going on?" _She heard Jean speak inside her head.

"_There's a mob outside the house. I'm using my phone to take pictures of them, just in case."_

"_Can you get inside? Get to Amanda?"_

"_Somehow I doubt they'd let me try."_

"_Understood, when I give the word give them a taste of YOUR smoke! Ready... NOW!"_ She heard as she closed her phone, diving down and spraying cloud-stuff across the mob.

"Hey, what gives!" One of them coughed out as the mob fled back to open air as the car pulled up.

"Kurt, with me! X keep them out!" Jean called out as they exited the car, Laura popping her claws. "While not KILLING anyone." She added as she used a telekinetic blast to knock the door down.

"Not like they're not asking for it." Laura replied as her claws pulled back into her forearms as the fog started to disperse, the mob looking across at her.

"I'll be up here..." Abigail replied, squatting on her cloud hovering several feet above the front yard. "If you need me..."

0--0

"Amanda! Amanda!" Kurt called out, coughing slightly as Jean used her powers to push the fire away from them.

"Over..." They heard, followed by a coughing fit. "Over here..." Someone wheezed in the next room, Kurt quickly rushing over and kicking the door open. One of the walls was on fire lighting the room in a hellish fashion, Amanda and her father crouching near her prone mother.

"Hang on! I'll get you all out." Kurt called out, running over and taking hold of each of them with an arm or tail.

"Can you manage porting three people?" Jean asked.

"I think so, but I von't go far, just out of the house." Kurt replied.

"Go, and hope Abigail and Laura's got that crowd under control." Jean replied as they vanished in a puff of brimstone.

0--0

"That felt weird..." Ricardo, Amanda's father coughed out as Kurt panted.

"Kurt..." Amanda said, coughing slightly as she took hold of her boyfriend's arm.

"I'm fine, just... vinded." Kurt let out.

"Then we should... whoa..." Amanda let out as a brown haired girl held a man in a head lock, kicking at another before twisting her body, her grip released as she slammed a fist into the man's jaw.

"That's Laura." Kurt explained as Jean walked out the door, smoke making way for her and her telekinetic shield. "She's hardcore."

"I noticed." Amanda let out as a man grabbed her from behind, the girl stomping on his foot before being tossed to the ground.

"Margali!" Ricardo cried out, shaking his limp wife. "Speak to me!"

"Mom? MOM!" Amanda called out as Jean rushed over, other body flying from one of Laura's kicks. Kneeling next to her she put her ear near the woman's mouth.

"Barley breathing." Jean said. "Kurt, can you manage to get her to the mansion?"

"I-I-I don't know!" Kurt called out. "It could be too far after--"

"Please Kurt!" Amanda called out, tears filling her eyes. "You can do it! I know!" She said as Kurt sighed.

"Call ahead." Kurt said, taking hold of the woman. "I might be out of it when I get there..." He replied, vanishing with the woman in a puff of dark smoke.

"I thought porting was easy for him!" Amanda said as she and her father stood up.

"The more weight he takes and the further he goes, the harder it is for him." Jean explained before a male body landed nearby, groaning in pain. "Come on, we need to get out of here. Get to the car!" She added the three running to the vehicle and getting inside. "Laura! Abi! Let's go!" She called out, the blonde girl lowering down to the clone as Jean sped the car away.

"Come on, we gotta book!" Abigail called out, Laura punching one last man before turning about and jumping behind her on the cloud, the two girls flying off into the sky.

0--0

"How was school today anyhow?" James asked idly as he held Theresa's hand, the pair walking through a park on the way back home.

"Fine..." She replied quietly as she kept her eyes lowered.

"Why so quiet?" James asked looking at her. "No need to be shy ya know."

"It's not that..." Theresa replied in her quiet manner. "When my powers came a month before... I was kidnapped a boy played a little joke and slipped some ice down my back. I screamed and I... I-I... blew the school's wall apart. Almost hurt some people."

"Whoa." James replied.

"I was really scared, but my father helped me a bit." She added. "But I then we got captured and I'm here now. How did you... I mean how did your powers...?"

"How'd they come out?" James said with a shrug. "In my sleep. Went to shower and by the time I was undressed I found myself with a new set of equipment. Thank god my Uncle was out of the house because I screamed. Like a girl."

"You were a girl..." Theresa replied with a soft smile.

"Don't remind me..." James sighed. "Half the times when I wake up Jack and the Curley Qs are gone."

"Huh?"

"Wait a couple years..." James added with a sigh before looking up. "What in the world...?" He let out.

Frank he recognized from the mall. His four friends he did not. The fact two of them held baseball bats was noted idly as he looked them over, each having a red button with 'FOH' in bold white letters on their chests.

"J-James..." Theresa let out, clutching his hand tightly.

"Theresa." James replied calmly. "I want you to hide in the woods until I call you." He said letting her hand go. "These guys are not here to chat, so I want you out of the way. Anyone makes a go for ya, scream at them."

"B-But..."

"It'll be okay." James said, setting his hands in his pockets. "I know what I'm doing." He said striding forwards with measured steps, the men chuckling as he approached. They moved to surround him as he stopped in the middle of the group. "So, coaching little league?" James ventured.

"Not quite mutie." Frank said crossing his arms as the two men with bats lightly slapped the thick wood into the palms of their hands.

"Ah, must be a good ole fashioned mugging then." James said, bouncing on his feet lightly. "Now then, you know I'm a mutant with powers beyond normal man and yadda, yadda, yadda..." He said, waving a hand dismissively. "Now consider this. I just walked over here knowing you want to hurt me. Why would I do that unless I knew I'd be able to handle it? So, you boys take your bats and go home and we'll be all nice and--" CRACK! "...Ow." He let out as his head tilted forwards from the blow. Turning around he looked at one of the men, bat in hand. "...That hurt." He said.

"What in the...?" The man said looking at the mutant that just shrugged a baseball bat to the head off as if it wasn't even a minor bruise he'd need to soak. His friend took a swing with his own bat however the mutant saw it from the corner of his eye and brought a hand up, catching it with ease and wrenching it from his grip. Calmly James gripped the bat in both hands and broke it in two, tossing the remains away.

"I am a little angry now." James stated, narrowing his eyes. "Nobody likes me when I get angry."

"GET HIM!" Frank bellowed out.

0--0

The five on one battle was short. Painfully so.

Frank who bellowed out took a mule kick to the gut as he charged, and crumpled to the ground.

The man on his left fell to a fist to the jaw.

The one on his right was thrown into the man with the intact bat.

The final man took a kick to the head and fell to the grass, a tooth knocked loose.

"Just be glad I know how to keep my full power under wraps." James said as he dusted his hands off. "Otherwise you'd be a lot worse off. Theresa, come on out!" He called out, the younger redhead darting out from the trees to run to his side. "Let's bail before worse happens." James added, idly kneeling down over Frank. Frowning thoughtfully he took the button off his chest, reading the sub text. "Friends of Humanity? Not very friendly if you ask me."

0--0

"Oiy, what happened?" Rahne asked as James and Theresa walked back into the mansion, the girl shaking somewhat. "Ye look terrible Terry, what happened to ye?"

"Long story." James said letting the girl go. "If you could look after her for a sec, I need to talk to the Professor."

"Aye, I think from your tone it won't wait." Rahne said as James quickly moved up the mansion's stair, quickly striding to the Professor's office, his hand raised to knock.

"Enter James." He heard, groaning slightly as he opened the door.

"Don't do that." He said, walking inside. Blinking he noted that a dark skinned man and a dark skinned girl were also in the room. Shaking his head he took the button from his pocket. "Me and Theresa had a little mishap on our way home." He said, tossing the button on to the desk, the newcomer's eyes widening as they looked at it.

"I thought as much, you were projecting your agitation quite vividly." Xavier frowned as he picked the button up. "What happened?"

"School's quarterback and four of his buddies waited for us at the park on our way back." James began to explain. "Two with bats. You didn't need ta be a psychic to know they were lookin' to cause trouble. I told Theresa to hide while I went over and tried to talk them down."

"Talk them down?" Xavier said with an eyebrow raised.

"Okay, I tried to intimate them into backing off by telling them that I wouldn't get into their face unless I could deal with them." James sighed. "Anyway, one of the idiots hits me in the back of the head with a bat--"

"Oh my god!" The girl cried out, hands clasping over her mouth. "Are you okay?"

"If it had happened to you, skull would be cracked open." James shrugged. "Me? Toughness comes with the super power package. It just stung. A lot. Beyond that, it's didn't do much. Anyway, I broke one of the bats, got mad, they attacked me, I put them down, grabbed Theresa and the button and made off."

"How badly did you hurt these men?" Xavier asked, sighing softly.

"Think one of them needs to have a tooth fixed." James said. "Beyond that, nothing some ice and a day or two can't fix." Seeing the elder man's disapproving glare he waved his hands defensively. "Hey, hey! Don't look at me like that! They were looking to mess me up pretty bad! Lot worse then what I gave them!"

"I understand, and while I am disappointed I cannot fault you." Xavier said with a shake of his head. Closing his eyes he sighed. "I only wish you didn't need to resort to force to solve the issue."

"Hell, I'd been happier if they walked off." James added as Xavier tossed the button onto the table.

"Those guys that attacked our house had the same buttons." The girl said, picking up the item. "The same guys..."

"House? Attack?" James let out, scratching at his ear. "Someone gonna fill me in?"

"Of course." Xavier said, gesturing to the two newcomers. "Ricardo Sefton and his daughter Amanda. His wife, Margali, is in the medical bay being treated for smoke inhalation. A mob had burned their house down, almost with them in it."

"WHAT!?" James bellowed out as the girl turned her head away.

"A few days ago one of them came to our house, distributing fliers." Ricardo began. "Didn't think much of it until they began talking about the 'mutant threat'. Now my wife and I are not the biggest fans of mutants, but we're not bigots. And Amanda... Well, she likes Kurt here... Well, it's too long of a story to get into. Despite a bad first impression we were thinking of letting her and Kurt have another go at a relationship, and she's been pretty pro-mutant... I think those guys found out and well..."

"Yeah, I think I can fill in the blanks for myself..." James deadpanned, crossing his arms. "So, we got this Reverend Striker guy calling us sons and daughters of Satan, Trask looking for ways to kill us, these Friends of Humanity jokers mobbing us..." Sighing he shook his head. "This sucks..."

"Not spoken eloquently..." Xavier mused. "But accurately."

0--0

"Teleported the whole two miles with another person?" Scott said as he talked to Abigail in the game room, Jean sitting on the back of the couch. "No wonder he looks like he ran a marathon."

"No kidding." Abigail replied as she sat on her cloud cross-legged.

"Well the Professor is going to let the Seftons stay for a little while." Jean added as Laura walked in. "At least until they get back on their feet."

"And those pictures I took should make suing the bastards all the easier." Abigail added as Laura sat down on the couch, grabbing an X-Box 360 controller. "S'up X?" She said, floating over to her friend.

"Pissed off." Laura replied with a snort. "Heard the same group of bastards that burnt the house jumped James and Theresa."

"Oh my god!" Jean cried out. "Are they all right?" She added, pushing off the couch and turning to look at the girl on it.

"Oh, they're fine." Laura said as the game, Saint's Row, started up. "James is a little miffed though. One of them hit him on the head with a bat. Didn't hurt him much."

"A baseball bat to the HEAD didn't hurt him much?" Abigail said, blinking. "Man, how tough is that dude."

"Durability goes hand in hand with strength." Jean explained. "If you have the physical strength to lift a tank your body needs the durability to not break under the strain."

"Yeah, but still. To the HEAD?"

"Even to the head, Abi. Even to the head."

0--0

The day wore on. The Seftons were formally introduced to the mansion's inhabitants, welcoming smiles all about.

Elsewhere, however, less friendly things were spoken of such as in a warehouse near Bayville's port, where a gathering was taking place.

"My friends, I bid you welcome!" A well dress red-haired man said, standing easily at six foot two at the podium. His neatly combed hair left a curl in his bangs that rested on his forehead. "I am Graydon Creed, as you all know, founder and leader of our society, the Friends of Humanity! As we all know a new threat plagues our planet! It is not pollution, nor disease, or even terrorists! It's mutants!" He cried out to the hollers and jeers of the crowd. "Hiding amongst us, plotting, threatening us decent, normal human beings!

"We have to fight back against them! Not just mutants, but those who would support them! Today we have struck, burning the dwelling of pro-mutant fanatics!" Graydon continued, the crowd jeering slightly. "Unfortunately one of our own groups was assaulted in retaliation by a super strong mutant with the physical might of an elephant!" Never mind that his men attacked the mutant first, that wouldn't sound quite right. "The police will not fight this threat! The military will not fight this threat! If neither will take arms against the mutants then we cannot trust either! They might even arrest us for attacking 'poor defenceless mutants'!

"So we must rely on ourselves, build our own army! We will fight then for our children! Our children's children! We will fight this threat and eradicate it from the face of our pure world!" He added, the crowd cheering in a frenzy, his name eventually being chanted. "I am Graydon Creed! And I do vow here and now to destroy mutant kind!"

0--0

"You've a way with words, Creed." The red-haired man heard as he walked to his car, noting the man leaning on the hood.

"Trask, nice to see you again." Graydon replied as the man pushed off the vehicle as he approached, quickly shaking the man's hand. "This would have been a lot harder to set up if you hadn't funded us. I was hoping to talk about getting some weaponry from you."

"Oh really?" Trask replied, smiling a bit. "I can dig you up some mining lasers and pistols, a grenade or two... But I can't arm you guys too much. If you're all carrying HK416s or M4 Carbines the military division I used to work for will suspect we're dealing with each other. For now, at least, we need the Friends of Humanity to look grassroots, easier to conscript and indoctrinate new members."

"That's true." Graydon replied, cupping his chin in his hand. "I actually know where to get some old hunting rifles; they'll give us some more firepower."

"Anyways, I just wanted to check up on you, Creed." Trask said as he began to walk away. "Just remember, you don't know me."

"Sorry, I was talking to someone?" Graydon answered with a smirk.

Trask then paused in his walk to look back, sharing the very same smirk.


	8. Pool, Deadpool

Shout Outs...

X00001: Thanks man.

The Notorious SMP: I know, I come and I go. I pick things up then set them down for a while only to pick them up agian.

Proud to be an X-Nerd: I'll try not too.

0--0

"Okay, so this guy, this what's-his-name, wants this pro-mutant advocate, someone-or-another, dead." The masked man said in the seat of a red, beat up pinto. "Well old what's-his-name, works for... think it's Trash or something... Trask! That's it, Trask! Yeah, he says he wants this dude dead cause he likes mutants, which Trask, his boss, don't like.

"Course I get hired because I'm not a mutant." He adds as he adjusted the trench coat he wore as he drove forwards, the light turning green. "It's just they took Weapon X's all mighty healing factor and spliced it into me like ketchup in Kraft Dinner. Mmm... Ketchup...

"So anyway I leave that little Weapon X wannabe program because I want to." The man said turning at an intersection. "And 'cause the author said so! Fourth wall? Never heard of it!" He chuckles as he slows down, parking the car by a meter. "Who needs a fourth wall anyhow? Just gets in the way of a good script I say." He adds, getting out of the car and setting a fedora on his head. "Now, to get into an animated series, not these crappy fan-boy make-your-own-stories stuff..." He muttered with no coins inserted into the meter as he walked away. "Oh well, time to kill."

0--0

"Why are we here?" Laura asked in a bored tone as herself, James and Abigail listened to a portly gentleman on a podium, a police officer on either side of him as he spoke. "And none of the others?"

"Because we have an English assignment on this and the others got dragged off to a Danger Room session and it's not really pro-mutant as much as just an 'informational press conference to dispel fiction and falsities about mutant genes.'" James replied with a sigh. "Gimmie the DR any day..."

"Word." Abigail said with a sigh. "At least things will be quiet. No burning houses. No muggings. No-- Hey!" She cried out as a man pushed her aside, running though the crowd. "What gives!?" She cried out as a fedora fell next to her.

"He's wearing a mask?" James muttered as the man discarded his coat revealing a red and black uniform with a sword strapped to his back. "What in the...?" He let out as the man leapt up, using a man's shoulder to leap even higher, drawing his sword.

"Deadpool..." Laura whispered to herself. "Toss me at him!" She cried out, turning to James. "NOW!"

"Okay, okay!" He replied, grabbing the girl and heaving her over his head. "No room to spin, so I'm gonna have to just chuck ya!" He said before throwing the girl like a lance at the masked man who quickly decapitated an officer, the speaker cried out as the second police man ran at the assassin. "Cloudy, grab... whatever his name is and take off!" He added as the crowd began to scream out, running away from the man with the sword as he stabbed at the other officer just before Laura's body slammed into him.

"Now I wish I WAS in the Danger Room!" Abigail whined as she formed a cloud under her, flying off to the man as Laura was kicked away. James meanwhile began to push through the small and thinning crowd as the scared mass began to pass him.

"Oh, what do we have-- HEY!" Deadpool cried out as Abigail grabbed the man and pulled him on to her cloud. "I'm being paid to kill him!"

"Hope it was in advance!" Laura cried out, drawing her claws and slashing at assassin, the man blocking her swipes with his blade as the blonde girl took off, passenger in tow.

"Aw damn it!" Deadpool cried out as he slashes at Laura with amazing speed, slicing her neck, forcing her to gurgle on her own blood, hands clutching her throat. "Well I'm gonna kill-- OOF!" He let out as the podium was slammed into his frame, thrown with great force.

"Laura!" James cried out, rushing to his friend as she crumpled to her knees.

"Fine..." She wheezed out. "Mostly healed already..." She let out, forcing herself to her feet. Nodding once as the assassin rose to his feet he grabbed a nearby flagpole, placing his foot on the base and tearing it off before stripping the flag off, spinning his makeshift weapon in his hands.

"Two of ya? Well twice the fun." The man said as he swung his sword a couple of times. "After all what kinda anti-hero slash villain would I be if I couldn't take on two main characters?"

"Main... Who the hell are you?"

"His name's Deadpool." Laura let out, spitting out some blood, as she brought her guard up, wounds healed. "The Merc with a Mouth. Highly trained, dangerous... And completely insane."

"Oh, well isn't that dandy." James mutters, holding the pole like a bo staff. "Well I'm going to knock his jaw off, and then he'll be the Merc without a Mouth."

"Careful, he has a healing factor too."

"That's right kiddies." Deadpool added before charging. "Now then, no more narratives!" He cried out, James blocking his sword with the pole. "Only one-liners are allowed from here on out!"

"Says you!" James replied pushing the merc back before swinging the pole at his head, the man ducking only to swing the sword in an uppercut like fashion forcing him to back away. Laura sprung over him, pushing off his shoulder with her feet, her forearm claws clashing with the assassin's metal as she stabbed at him. Grunting with exertion the merc began to overpower her only to have James' metal pole thrust over her shoulder and into the man's eye.

"Ow!" Deadpool cried out, backing away swinging his sword to ward away his foes. "Nothing like a swift poke in the eye to wake you up!" He cried out, leaping up and pushing off Laura's head to swing his weapon at James who caught it with his own, falling onto his back only to place his feet on the man's chest and pushing him back.

"I've got you now!" Laura cried out, slamming her claws into his back, only to have him jam his sword into her stomach. "Gah!"

"All the girls say that baby!" Deadpool added before Laura tore her claws to the side and through his flesh. "OW! And all the girls are clawers too!"

"Shut up!" James said smacking the pole into his face, causing him to stagger away and withdraw his sword from the clone. "Laura?"

"I'm fine." She grunted out as she noted Deadpool's wounds closing. "Problem is so's he!"

"Let's fix that!" James bellow raising his weapon up in an effort to bring it down on the man's head, only for the merc to roll to the side, the pole slamming into the ground smashing concrete.

"Every body was Kung Fu Fighting!" Deadpool sang out as, he faked a sword swipe at James only to kick him in the jaw. "Those cats were fast as lightning!" He added the staggered gender-changing mutant forced back a step as the assassin swung at Laura who ducked and rolled backwards. "In fact it was a little bit frightening!" He continued as he jumped back to kick at James who leapt up, flipping over his head while lashing out with a foot, slamming it into the side of his head, forcing him to the ground.

"But they fought with expert timing." James finished as Deadpool staggered back to his feet.

"Okay, that's it..." The assassin said, shaking a fist in the air. "No more Mister Nice Merc with a Mouth! Ta-da-da-da! CHARGE!" He cried out sword held high as he ran at James who thrust his weapon at him only to have the merc leap over him, using his head as a springboard.

"Laura!" James cried out as his friend prepared to meet the assassin head on, only to slip on a pool of her blood, shed earlier in the conflict. Falling backwards as the assassin came to Earth her foot slammed into his groin, the claw housed within it unsheathing in reflex with a familiar SNIKT.

"Oiy..." Deadpool said, as his feet in the ground, standing with feet shoulder width apart, sword held over his head. "...You know for a groin shot... this should hurt more."

"Crap..." James said, frowning as he fell into a stance. "Does he have balls of steel or something?" He asked as the merc reached down with a hand to push the foot away.

Even with his back turned to him and a mask on his head James could sense Deadpool's eyes widening. "SON OF A BITCH!" The assassin cried out as he dropped his sword, the weapon clattering to the ground. "MY BALLS! MY LOVELY OFTEN PLAYED WITH BALLS! THEY HURT!"

"Didn't need to hear that..." James muttered as the merc dropped to his knees before bouncing on them.

"PAIN! AGONY! MY DING DONG AND THE BELLS ARE GOING TO FALL OFF!" Deadpool continued as he bounced along. "OH PAIN! OH AGONY!" He let out before James rushed with a soccer kick to the jaw, smashing the man's head with one swift move. "GURK!" The man let out before falling to the ground, unmoving.

"Okay, that was weird..." James muttered as Laura got back up.

"A wonder anyone even hires him." Laura sighed as police cars approached.

0--0

"Let me understand you..." Xavier said to the police officer at the jail. Behind the bars was a man in a red and black bodysuit, complete with a mask, who was picking nose despite the fact the mask covered it. "Two of my student's defeated this man, Deadpool, as another rescued... Ummm..."

"Don't worry." The officer said with a wave of his hand. "No one remembers his name. And yes, that's about the size of it." He sighed. "Military is coming by to pick him up, but a Colonel Fury asked for you to see if your powers could find out who he was working for. Apparently normal interrogation techniques won't work on him."

"Normally I wouldn't." Xavier said, wheeling over to the bars. "But given this man's history and reputation I should see what I can manage."

"Oh, I don't recommend it." The masked man said, dropping to the floor and curling into a ball. "It's a dark, scary place in there... Oh yes... Full of Cheese Whiz!"

"Yes... Of course." Xavier deadpanned as he brought a hand to his temple. "Now this won't hurt a bit." He said before entering Deadpool's mind with his power.

Professor Charles Francis Xavier had entered many a mind. Tortured souls like Logan and Rouge, more carefree people like Kitty or Tabitha but nothing, nothing at all, could prepare him for the sight in Deadpool's mind...

Darth Vader. Singing.

"Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me!" The evil sith lord sang as he danced. "Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me! Don't cha, dont cha! Don't cha wish your girlfriend was raw like me! Don't cha wish your girlfriend was fun like me! Don't cha, dont cha!"

Another probe revealed a similar result, only with Mario, the Nintendo mascot, farting in tune to of The Wheels on the Bus.

The third involved butter and eggs on a nude Rosie O'Donnell being eaten by a cannibal while singing the Star Spangled Banner.

By the time he had gotten to the entire cast of the Jurassic Park movies, dinosaurs included, doing River Dance with many casualties on the human side of things from the feet of the great beasts Xavier decided enough was enough.

"Well?" The officer asked as Xavier leaned back in his seat with a groan.

"I had never considered complete insanity as a counter to telepathic intrusion... Until now..." Xavier sighed. "His thoughts are bizarre... Surreal. I'm afraid I can gain no useful knowledge from him without delving deeper into his psyche."

"You think it would do irreparable damage to his mind?"

"I think it would do irreparable damage to my mind."

0--0

"I can't believe the two of you took on DEADPOOL!" Logan growled out as Xavier drove the van back, the elder man sitting in the front seat. "What were you THINKING?"

"Uh, that someone had to stop him?" James offered, scratching at his ear.

"I started it." Laura said. "And I knew what I was getting into."

"And it almost got you KILLED!" Logan replied.

"Please, settle down..." Xavier sighed calmly. "While I do agree risking your lives like that was foolhardy it was the right thing to do. You did as you've been trained these last couple of weeks; you fought to defend people against a threat. Violence is risky and unpleasant, but often necessary, more so than I care to admit."

"I still don't like it." Logan grumbled.

"As do I." Xavier replied. "But we cannot expect them to act differently than trained. And besides with... the gentleman's rescue it puts mutants in a somewhat better light, as well as giving the man a reason to enforce pro-mutant views. So long as a habit is not made of this I can stand a few scares."

"Fine..." Logan let out. "But you both got another Danger Room session." He added, turning to look at the two teenagers in the back seat. "With me."

"I think I'd rather take the English assignment." James sighed.

"Same here." Laura added.

0--0

"Well, if it's a plus..." James said with a groan, setting his books into his school locker. "The assignment got scrapped..."

"Hey, I'm happy." Laura said as she leaned on another locker.

"That's because your bruises heal in seconds." James sighed. "I still take time to heal mine, even if they're harder to accumulate. But man, that Deadpool dude can hit, his kick actually hurt me." He sighed, a grunt his only answer from his friend. "Well, classes are done. What'cha want to do?"

"I have no idea..." Laura sighed, setting her arms behind her head. "Maybe go to mall for a bit I guess."

"Works for me."

0--0

"If there's one thing I still don't understand it's this: Who would hire a guy to kill that guy we can't remember the name of?" James mused as Laura used the change room.

"Someone who hates mutants." Came the reply. "That's obvious."

"Okay, let me rephrase that. Who would hire a lunatic who happens to be highly skilled and demands a big pay check for a guy that no one can remember the name of?"

"Point taken." Laura sighed. "Trask maybe, he has money to burn if I recall but he'd rather 'correct' humans from what I've read. It could be someone under him acting without approval."

"What about the FOH?" James asked.

"Maybe, but I've checked their information online. They mostly rely on fund raisers to get cash, at least for now. They couldn't afford it."

"Someone else maybe?"

"Who knows?" Laura said as she opened the door. "Well?" She asked as James pushed off the wall to look her over.

Low rise black leather pants tucked into matching knee high metal trimmed boots with a snug and black zip up and sleeveless leather corset, fingerless black leather gloves with no material over the knuckles and a thick leather belt with a skull and crossbones emblem on the buckle.

"Hot." James replied with a smile. "You know your old man will freak at that one too."

"I haven't gotten to the underwear yet." Laura replied with a smirk.

"Somewhere some dead guy from Hydra is rolling in his grave..."

0--0

The vent of the jail was kicked out, the metal clattering onto the roof as Deadpool pulled his frame out of the jail. "Time's up! I lost a life! Well the job anyway..." He muttered, crawling onto the roof. "Well, always another game out there to play! Like a fish in the ocean, another job will come! Hey, fish is food! Which means... Mmm... Ketchup..."

0--0

"Ugh!" Abigail let out as she was dropped to the ground. "Oww... That hurt."

"Hey, you wanted to learn how to fight." James reminded her, dressed in a white martial art's uniform, a gi. Abigail herself wore a pair of grey sweatpants and a blue t-shirt.

"Well yeah..." Abigail groaned as she got up. "But throwing me to the ground like that is not how I wanted to learn how to fight."

"It wasn't that rough." James sighed. "And it was just to show you how it's done. Now, come here." He said as Abigail approached. "What I did was I caught a punch and turned it into a throw. Now, we'll do this slowly so you can do it." He said, pulling back a fist. "Fist comes forward." He began, moving his fist slowly forwards. "Now take me by the wrist or forearm." He said, Abigail grabbing on. "Turn away from me, pressing your hip to mine." He said, Abigail moving to the position. "Then pull, rolling me over your body. Since I don't have any momentum for you to use you can't toss a guy my size. So, let's do this again and I'll put in some momentum in for you, but don't be scared, I won't hit ya." He said backing away as Abigail nodded once.

"Ready." She said as James threw his fist forwards, Abigail grabbing his arm, spinning her back to him as she pulled on his arm, using his momentum to roll the larger male over her shoulder, his body slamming into the ground.

"Not bad." He said, kipping back up to his feet. "If I was a normal guy that would have hurt and at least made me pause for a minute or two, long enough to get away. Now then, let's practise some kicks." He said, waling over to the wall, picking up a padded shield. "Roundhouse kicks first."

0--0

"So, I get my ass kicked by two teenagers." Deadpool mused as he stood on his perch. "But hey, I'm pretty popular; I'll be in another chapter no doubt." He said, cupping his chin. "Surely I'll be back to kick ass and chew bubblegum! And I won't forget to bring the bubblegum!"

"Daddy." A kid in a car said as he looked out the window. "Why is that man standing on the top of the bus?"

"I have no idea, but he better duck or..." His father began just before the bus entered a tunnel, it's unusual passenger slamming into the top of it. "Or that."

"Urk..." Deadpool let out before falling from the tunnel top to the ground below. "Ouch... Note to self, dramatic poses should not be done on moving buses... So much for padding more words into this chapter..."

0--0

"Ignoring the hiccups, it hasn't been too bad a time." Logan admitted as he and Xavier watched from a balcony, Amanda and Kurt rolling about in the grass.

"Indeed." Xavier admitted with a nod. "But we have so far to go. James has yet to truly accept his dual-gender nature, and may take some time to do so. Laura still needs to adjust to normal society. I suspect Victor is accepting of his unique appearance, but something else seems to bother him. Abigail might be training under James in martial arts, but she still seems to be a target for bullies and her power is not exactly... offensive. And Theresa seems afraid of her own powers, but given the destructive potential of them that is understandable. Each still has unique problems to solve and issues to accept, but that will come in time."

"Maybe Chuck, but we might not have time." Logan let out. "The Friends of Humanity are organizing mobs and riots, Striker is preaching against us and Trask is out there building new toys. And sooner or later they're going to take note of each other and make nice."

"If they have yet to do so."

"True." Logan sighed. "Talked to Fury; seems the FOH got a big lump of funding from an 'unknown benefactor' who knows how not to leave a trail. Could be Trask is backing him. Or someone worse."

"Mutants are in for a tough time my friend. But we will persevere." Xavier said as the couple on the grass stopped rolling about, Amanda resting her head on Kurt's shoulder. "If not for us then today's generation and if not for them then the next one. We can make a better future if we work towards it."


	9. Saving Jubilation Lee

Shout Outs

Shout Outs...

X00001: He escaped because it was in the script. Ask Deadpool, he'll tell you himself, fourth wall be damned.

The Notorious SMP: Like a... Gross...

Red One: Thanks man.

Proud to be an X-Nerd: Ending? Nope. Deadpool wants at least another cameo.

0--0

"Get the mutant!" The cry came from the man in paramilitary garb as he pointed at the Asian-American girl who fired sparkler like blasts from her hands. "Do as you will, but leave her alive for the assembly!" He added as the girl swept her hands, knocking two men away with her powers before a third managed to slam a fist into the back of her skull, sending her to the ground and out of consciousness.

"Is she alive?" Another asked as the man who struck her kneeled down, fires licking the house in front of them.

"Yeah." The man said after checking her pulse. "Not that'll matter in a couple of days." He said, picking the girl up. "What about those who spawned her?"

"Leave them." The leader said. "We can deal with them another day." He said as the mob collected itself and left.

Two sets of eyes warily crawled out from under the porch, only the fires lighting the night sky.

0--0

"Hey, Logan..." James said in a seat on the Blackbird. "Why am I on this little recruitment mission? I mean if you want your best foot forwards shouldn't you bring Jean or Scott. Me, Ray and Rogue do not set the most... academically inclined appearances."

"Speak fer yerself." Rogue huffed in her own seat, Ray and Rahne in the seats behind them.

"It ain't a new student." Logan let out. "Her name's Jubilee. Parent's pulled her out 'cause they thought she'd be in danger at the mansion after mutants were exposed. Problem is Los Angeles is home to the FOH's west coast branch and they've been stirring up trouble like no tomorrow so now she's heading back our way."

"I for one cannot wait for her ta get back." Rahne added, leaning back in her seat. "She'd always find the most amusin' things in the mall."

"Yeah, but then why take all of us along." James added, gesturing to the inside of the plane. "Heck of a lot of people just for a milk run."

"The Professor thinks it would be a good way for the lot of you to practice first impressions." Logan added. "Besides, she'll probably want to visit some of those malls for one last time, so you can get some sight seeing or something. We got a rental waiting for us, a van. And it's a rental, so NO POWERS inside of it. Wanna get back in one piece."

0--0

"Okay, we should be coming on it now." Logan said as he turned the corner.

"Coming up on something..." James muttered in the front passenger seat as his eyes widened.

A house lay in ruin, still smouldering from intense heat. Police cars and fire trucks lined the street as they pulled up.

"Please..." Rahne said as she leaned forwards to look. "Tell me it ain't--"

"'Fraid so Furtop." Logan said as he parked the van. "Rogue, James, come with me. Rest of you wait here." He said as the three exited the van. Logan walked ahead of the teenagers, each one eyeing the ruined house.

"If the FOH didn't do this then I'm the Queen of England." James muttered.

"No takers here." Rogue replied. "Gawd, this stinks. I nevah really liked Jubilee, but Ah don't wanna see her hurt."

"You... You're from Xaviers!" They heard as a man and a woman, husband and wife by the looks of it, ran over to them, blankets over their shoulder.

"Yeah." Logan said. "I'm Logan. What the hell happened here?"

"We... We should have sent her back sooner..." The man said, turning his head away. "They... The Friends of Humanity came... Our neighbours ousted our little girl... Our Jubilation... We thought she'd be safe here... We were wrong..."

"Figures..." Logan growled out. "Are the cops on it?"

"Yes, but..." The woman began. "Well... I've heard they've been turning a blind eye to mutants. They took our statements but... I think... Nothing will..."

"But why take her?" James mused aloud, as the gather people turned to face him. "I mean I can see them killing her, but why take her? What's the point?"

"Jubilee tried to fight them off." The woman said, eyes tearing up. "We... we had no powers or weapons so all we could do was hide... Hide as they stole her..."

"They mentioned a gathering, no an assembly..." The man said. "We told the police, but..."

"Don't worry..." Logan said, reaching out to grip his shoulder. "We'll get her back."

"Yeah, but how?" James asked. "We don't even know where to start."

"Sure we do ya knucklehead." Rogue replied, elbowing him roughly hard enough that a normal person would have been hurt. He simply shrugged it off. "If the FOH is havin' a lil pow wow they're gonna advertise it."

"And they might be holding her there." Logan finished. "Good a bet as any." He sighed. They had no idea when this 'assembly' would take place, so the rescue had to be immediate. He needed the X-Men.

The problem was he didn't have them, just himself and Rogue with Berserker, Wolfsbane and Dual rounding out the team.

Ray, alias Berserker, and his electrical powers would be the only ranged ability in their pool until Jubilee was rescued, and perhaps after that depending on her condition. He wasn't too bad up close, but favoured brawling and street fighting over any disciplined style.

James, also known as Dual, was much the opposite of him. In his powerful male form or his swift female form he needed to be up close and personal to do damage, but with a black belt in both kickboxing and capoeria mixed in with his break dance moves he would do damage in spades.

Rahne, codename Wolfsbane, could turn into a wolf or a humanoid human-wolf hybrid that looked like something from a werewolf film. Her speed, reflexes, strength and senses were all improved in her hybrid state and she gained a healing factor, although compared to his it was nothing.

Rogue, no other known name, could absorb the thoughts and powers of those she touched, an uncontrollable power and a devastating power, if only limited to close contact and the fact she could never turn it off. That wasn't to say her powers were all she had, her skill in combat was somewhere around James' level.

As for Logan himself, the Wolverine, he had a healing factor that worked miracles, enhanced abilities, enhanced senses, years upon years of experience, training and conditioning, metal claws and an expert in several forms of combat.

Best line up they weren't, but he could work with it.

0--0

"Stinkin' mutie!" A man cried out as he slapped the bound mutant in her face. Jubilee was tied to a chair, her forearms bound together and her legs to the chair. Steel caps were locked over her hands preventing her from using her powers. Her mouth had a ball gag in it as well, making her scream past the plastic.

"Ease up." Another said. "We need her in good condition until tomorrow night." He added, stepping over. "Which is too bad..." He added, reaching down between her legs as the mutant's eye opened wide. "I wanted to teach her where she belonged in my own unique way."

"Don't." The first said as his friend pulled his hand away. "You might catch something."

0--0

"So, that's their headquarters here?" Ray asked as the van was parked across the street from a two story building with 'Friends of Humanity: West Coast Headquarters' on the banner.

"Looks that way, boyo." Rahne said softly.

"So, we're here." Rogue added. "Now what? Ah mean it's not like we can jus' waltz on in there and ask for where they're keeping Jubilee."

"And me and Rogue can't go in anyways." Logan let out. "Too much TV time when mutants were exposed."

"Why can't we just bust on in and--"

"Come on Ray, think." James replied. "A pack of mutants violently attacking the FOH is going to be a good headline. Nah, I think I got this covered." He said opening the door.

"What are you doing?" Logan out as the gender changing mutant stepped out of the van.

"Just wait and see." James said as he closed the door, walking across the street with his hands in his pockets.

"Hope he don't do nothin' stupid in there, the jock." Rogue muttered.

James, meanwhile had walked into the front door of the office. 'Okay James, play it cool.' Looking about he noted the freshly painted white walls, red FOH posters lining them. A poster held photos of five children asking the reader 'which one is the mutant'. He approached the desk.

"Can I help you?" The woman with the glasses said as she looked up from her computer.

"Yeah, I'm kinda new in town I wanted to get some information." James said slightly nervously.

"Is that so?" The woman said. "Well then, let me get you a flier and information video." She said, turning to look through a file cabinet, pulling a folder out. Looking through it she took out a small DVD and flier. "Here we go."

"A new member?" A man said as he walked over. James turned to look at him, noting his neatly trimmed blonde beard and the fact he stood a head taller than himself.

"Oh, no. Not yet anyway." James said, waving a hand. "Just getting some info first, ya know look into something first."

"Oh, of course, of course." He said, laughing slightly. "Oh, dear me. I forgot to introduce myself. Adam Pillion, director of our offices here on the west coast and second in command of the FOH. And you are?" He asked extending his hand.

"Ja... Jay. Jay Dual." James said, he said taking the hand and shaking it.

"Ah, you seem to be a fine young lad." Adam said as James picked up the flier and DVD. "I hope you'll be at the assembly tomorrow night."

"Assembly?" James parroted questioningly.

"Oh, of course you wouldn't know!" The man bellowed out with laughter. "It's at the Cornwall Place at the corner eighty-third and Rockswell! Used to be a hotel, but it went out of business around five years ago. We're remodelling it into an apartment complex for our members who need housing, are over to visit and for assemblies. We have a number of people living there right now as a matter of fact."

"Really?" James said, scratching at his ear. "I'd didn't think the FOH was quite so... large as to need all that."

"Oh we're not that big yet." Adam said dismissively. "The FOH has about four and a half thousand members spread across North America and England, although our British friends haven't been able to establish an office yet. And we only have around three hundred members in town. But that doesn't matter; we are a growing organization boy! We need to plan ahead and get what we need before we need it! But I've kept you long enough, you young people must have a lot of things to do! Watch the DVD, and if you spot a mutant let us know so we can ensure the safely of good clean human beings."

"Oh yeah." James said, rubbing his neck. "Sure."

0--0

"I wanna take a shower..." James groaned as Logan drove down the road, Rogue looking at a map in the seat behind him.

"Should." She said. "Ya smell more like a jackass than before after bein' there."

"Thank you Little Miss Goth." James replied.

"Cut it out you guys." Ray groaned in the backseat.

"Just cause the two of ya don't like each other don't mean ye got to keep aggravating us along with ya." Rahne added. "And besides, we need ta rescue Jubilee."

"She could be at Cornwall." James said, turning his head to look at the others. "At the very least it sounds like they don't have much else in the way of real-estate."

"I'll sniff around when we get there." Logan let out as he made a turn. "Then we'll make a plan."

"Why not have 'Jay' sneak inta the place during the assembly?" Rogue replied. "Ah mean he's already got his foot in the door."

"We can't wait." Logan spat back. "We don't know how many people are there now but we know how many could be there later."

"Five on three hundred." James winced. "Powers or no powers I don't like those odds."

"And they'd hurt the Firecracker before we could get to her." Logan added. "No. We do this tonight."

"And hope they left the pitchforks at home." Ray groaned.

0--0

"She's here." Logan hissed out as he and the other mansion residents gathered around the corner of the block. "Now we need a plan."

"We could go in the front door, but that'd look weird." Ray began.

"And she's probably bein' kept up on the top floors anyhow." Rogue added. "They'd get to her 'fore we did."

"Could start at the top and work our way down." James replied. "We stay quiet enough we could do it."

"Well I dunno about all that." Rahne replied before looking at Logan. "What d'ye think Mr. Logan?"

"Working our way down sounds about right." Logan said gruffly. "But I scouted about; no fire exits. Getting to the roof won't be easy."

"Sure it will. For me anyway." James said, patting his chest. "Leave it to me."

"...Okay Hotshot, you can take a crack at it." Logan began. "You and Rogue go up top and work yer way down. Rest of us will wait for a minute and cause a ruckus down stairs."

"Now hang on a minute!" Rogue spat out. "Why do I have to go with Gender-Bender here?"

"Gender-Bender!?" James shouted back.

"Knock it off, both of ya!" Logan roared out. "This ain't up for debate! You two can kill each other later, but for now just stow it and get the job done!"

"Yeah, yeah..." James sighed.

0--0

"Okay, so we're here." Rogue said after she and James had snuck about to the side of the building before pointing up to the roof. "How d'we get up there?"

"Simple. You hang on." James said before scooping Rogue up into his arms.

"Hey! You put me--" She began before James bunched his legs before leaping upwards "DOOOOWWWWNNN!!" She let out as they soared up and above the building, the super-strong mutant landing on the edge of the roof before setting her down.

"Oh ye of little faith." James grinned as he walked over to the stairway door.

"Aw, shad up!" Rogue let out as James tested the door.

"Huh, locked." He muttered before twisting it quickly, a loud snap being heard. Pulling the door open he looked inside before slowly walking downwards, Rogue behind him. Seeing him make a quick gesture Rogue darted past him into the hall, looking about before beckoning James over. Rushing over to look over her frame frowned. "I don't see anyone, but there are a lot of doors..."

"Could be in any one o' them." Rogue groaned. "Ah'll go left, you go right, we search door by door for anything."

"But what does Jubilee look like?" James replied. "Never met her, remember?"

"Jus' look for the pretty Asian girl with long hair." Rogue sighed. "Not that hard."

0--0

"What the?" A man down at the reception deck let out as three odd people walked in, a punk like blonde youth with orange bangs, a pig-tailed redhead and a gruff man with black hair and facial stubble. "Um, can we help you?"

"Yeah, we're mutants looking for someone." Logan drawled out. "Chinese-American girl. I got these senses that tell me she's in here. Where is she?"

"This is so not subtle." Ray sighed.

"Suppose it wasn't meant ta be." Rahne replied.

"Mutants..." The receptionist cried out before, pulling something from under his desk. "MUTANT SCUM!" He cried out, pulling out a gun as Logan took a lazy swipe at the weapon, claws drawn mid move to slice the gun.

"Bub." Logan drawled out. "Don't make this hard on yerself."

"I'm thinkin' things are gonna be a wee bit hard on ourselves..." Rahne drawled out as several men armed with bats, clubs and broken bottles rushed out of the nearby bar.

"Mutants!"

"Kill them!"

"Evil scum!"

"Don't kill them." Logan said as he pulled his claws back into his arm. "Even if it would make the world a better place." He added as Rahne shifted into her hybrid state, a were-wolf like beast with sharp claws, Ray holding up a palm that was crackling with lightning. "Hurtin' is plenty good though."

0--0

"Guards." Rogue whispered as she and James looked around the corner of the hallway. They had descended two floors with no sighs of Jubilee. Each floor thus far had three halls and two staircases, one going up the other down. They had spotted two men in paramilitary wardrobe by the door near the descending staircase, one with a bat in his hand and the other a chain.

"Two of them." James added softly. "Either of us could take them out easy enough, but if Jubilee is in that room and someone is with her..."

"Point." Rogue replied as she took her gloves off and setting them in her pocket. "Now it's mah turn to play double o seven." She said rounding the corner. "Pardon me boys..." She drawled out as she walked over to them with a sultry swagger, getting their attention as she grinned. "Ah was told a couple o' good boys needed some sorta entertainment. Would you be them?"

"Err... No-ow!" The first said as the chain bearer elbowed him.

"Shut up man." He hissed out. "Look at that sexy thing." He added before speaking to Rogue. "Yeah, that'd be us miss. But I warn you, we expect some very... intimate entertainment." He said with a grin, speaking to her chest.

"Really now?" She said, moving in front of them, extending her hand. "Ah can do that..." She said as the two guards shared a look before each grabbing a hand.

Both let out shallow moans before dropping to the ground. "Little too intimate... Now I got idiots in mah head..." She sighed, putting her gloves back on as James wandered over.

"Was it good for you?" He said with a grin.

"Oh shad up." Rogue groaned out. "No one's inside, come on." She added, using the knowledge from the guards she gained from her powers. "Jubes?" She said, opening the door as they stepped in.

"Anybody... Oh god..." He said as he looked at the girl tied to the chair, a knocked over table in front of them. Her hair was unkempt and one of her eyes was swollen shut from a bruise, another purple lump on her jaw. A ball gag kept her from speaking as she looked up at them with her one open eye before letting out a muffled cry of joy.

"Hold on girl, we're getting you outta here." Rogue added as she knelt down to untie the girl's legs, James moving behind her to undo her arms and a moment later tear the steel restraints from her hands. Using her newly freed hands Jubilee pulled the gag from her mouth.

"You came!" She cried out, tears leaking from her eyes. "You guys really came!"

"Don't go thankin' us yet." Rogue said as Jubilee stood up. "We ain't outta here yet. You good to fight if ya need to?"

"Yeah." She said as James wandered over to the door, peering outside of it. "I just need a moment to stretch."

"Get your acrobatics done quick." James said, looking down at the staircase. "Company's a coming!" He said, anti-mutant taunts in the air as men rushed to the staircase. Grabbing the door he tore it from it's hinges before throwing it at the mob, knocking them down.

"Guess Logan's distraction didn't work as well as we had hoped..." Rogue sighed as she and Jubilee walked out of the room, the latter firing her bright projectiles at more men rushing towards the stairs.

"No guns." Jubilee grinned as she knocked another man down. "Like fish in a barrel." She said as a man threw a round and green object at them, James' eyes widening.

"GRENADE!" He cried out, grabbing both girls by the shirts and throwing them back into the room and over the table as the weapon landed behind as he began to enter the room himself him before the explosive went off with an ear splitting bang. "GAAHHH!!"

"NOOO!" Jubilee screamed as James staggered forwards before collapsing. "BASTARDS!" She screamed out before rushing out the door, firing blindly at the FOH members.

"My god..." Rogue gasped, kneeling down next to him. "They killed him..."

"...n...not yet..." James coughed out to her surprise as he moved his arms to help push himself up. "...but it hurts like a mother... ughh..." Taking a closer look her normally pale skinned turned a new shade paler.

The impact from the detonation and the heat from the explosion seemed to have done little damage, possibly due to his distance from the explosive, his own durability or both. The shrapnel was another story; jagged pieces of metal stuck out of his flesh like small and jagged daggers from the base of his skull, along his back, buttocks and legs and even his heels and the back of his arms. Blood oozed from each wound, staining his torn shirt and pants as he forced himself up to a knee.

"Can ya walk?" Rogue said softly as he forced himself up to both feet, a hand on the wall to steady himself.

"...more like limp..." He muttered, a groan of pain escaping his lips.

"Then we gotta make you hustle." Rogue replied, looking about before rushing over to pick up a tablecloth, draping it about her neck to cover her skin before returning, setting herself under his arm, grabbing him by the back of his belt. "Lean on me. The cloth should keep us from touchin' each other."

"...thought ya didn't care much for me." James let out.

"Still don't." Rogue replied as she helped ease him to the door. "But ya saved Jubliee and mahself, so I dislike ya less now."

"...yay." James let out before coughing.

"Finish'em up Jubes." Rogue called out as the girl panted as she knocked the last of their foes away with her blasts. "We gotta move." She added as the former New Mutant turned to look at them.

"He's not dead?" She muttered in shock.

"Nah, jus wishin' he was." Rogue drawled out as Jubilee moves under his other arm. "Grab him by his belt; his back's got more shrapnel in it than Carter has pills."

"R-right..."

0--0

"Don't you guys know when to quit!?" Ray cried out as he sent a blast of electricity at a man who drew a pistol, the metal attracting the attack and shocking the man holding it. "I mean come on!" He added, the pistol-man dropping as Rahne threw three men off of her, Logan backhanding another away.

"If they were gonna quit, boyo, they'd need to be able to have an IQ higher than three." Rahne growled out in her hybrid form before stepping back from a bat swing, slashing the offending weapon into pieces following up with a fist to the owner's jaw.

"Not that it matters." Logan added elbowing another as Ray's blast zapped another two. "That seems to be it."

"So, now what?" Ray asked as he wiped his hands.

"Guess we... Wait, more coming." Rahne said as she crouched to attack again.

"Wait Furtop." Logan added as he listened. "I think one o' them is limpin'." He added before Rogue, James and Jubilee rounded the corner.

"What in the...?" Ray let out.

"Oh my Lord, what happened?" Rahne asked as she and Logan rushed over to them.

"One of them... They had a grenade..." Jubilee panted out as Rahne gently took the wounded mutant from them, easing him onto her shoulder. "He tossed us away, but..."

"Took the whole blast on his backside." Rogue continued as Jubilee began to sob lightly. "Too tough for it ta kill'em, but he's hurt. Real bad."

"Shit." Logan growled out. "Get him face down in the back of the van. Rahne, stay with him and keep him awake. Don't pull anything out; it'll keep him from bleeding. We gotta get him back to the mansion, and we gotta get him there now!"

0--0

"I'm sorry we couldn't have more time to say goodbye." Jubilee sighed, an icepack held to her face as she and her parents waited outside the Blackbird as Logan prepped James for the flight inside the aircraft. "I just..."

"It's not your fault." Her mother said soothingly as both parents pulled her into a hug. "If it's anyone's it's ours for taking you away. We thought you'd be safer here... I wish we could keep you here, but..."

"But we can't protect you." Her father sighed. "Not like Xavier can. Just... remember... We're so proud of you..."

"Hate to break this up." Ray called out from the plane's door as the teary eyed family turned to face him. "But we gotta get moving here!"

"R-right." Jubilee said, tightening her hug briefly before stepping away. "Call me... When you get settled in."

"Of course." Her mother said as Jubilee turned to run to the plane, boarding it.

"Stay safe." Her father let out as the plane closed up.

0--0

"How is he?" Jubilee asked near the back of the plane as Rogue sat near James, strapped face down on a gurney, an IV in his arm.

"Almost needed ta hammer than little needle inta his skin." Rogue muttered. It wasn't quite that hard, but his unusual toughness had meant a lot more force was needed to puncture his skin. "He's asleep right now, but not in shock, thank God. Must be part o' bein' so durable." She mused as Logan turned in his seat.

"Okay Firecracker, get strapped in, we're leaving." He said as the girl nodded once, moving to a nearby seat and buckling herself in. "We're off!" He added the engines powering up and lifting the plane from the ground.

0--0

"I am rather disturbed by these events Logan." Xavier admitted to the Canadian mutant in his office. "The Friends of Humanity are more aggressive than I had anticipated. And better armed."

"Yeah, I'm sure Hotshot will testify to that." Logan let out. "So, how's he doing?"

"Remarkably well." Xavier began. "As you know his mutant abilities has granted him a much higher resistance to damage than a normal human, greater than I would have guessed. Between reinforced skin and firmer, denser muscle tissue he was able to survive, although badly wounded. Hank, however, assures me he will make a full recovery in a few days. The operation was a complete success and he claims his new treatments will not leave scarring on his body. Jubilee may take longer to recover."

"What'dya mean?" Logan asked as Xavier back his chair up before turning it to look out the window.

"She had suddenly and violently been ripped from her parents by men full of hate." He began, looking at the girl as she sat on the grass outside, looking forlorn even as Rahne spoke softly next to her. "Tied and locked away for who knows what evil awaiting her only to have one of her rescuers injured in a most brutal fashion. The scars of the mind take longer to heal Logan, as you well know."

"Yeah."

0--0

"We're back!" Jean said as she, Abigail and Laura walked into the mansion, each of the girls carrying a bag full of makeup and perfumes."

"How much of this stuff do normal girls go through?" Laura asked, looking inside her back. "And why make yourself smell weird?"

"I'll tell you sometime." Jean replied as Ray waved as he walked down the stairs at them. "Hey Ray, how'd the trip to get Jubilee go?"

"It blew." Ray sighed.

"Something happened?" Abigail asked, tilting her head.

"Something doesn't begin to describe it." Ray groaned. "Jubes got kidnapped by the FOH so we had to go save her." He began.

"What?" Jean gasped, brining her hand to her mouth, Abigail gulping as Laura frowned slightly. "Is she alright?"

"Few bruises... But..." Ray began, rubbing at his neck.

"What happened?" Jean began, moving to set a hand on his shoulder.

"James... James got hurt. Real bad." Ray let out.

"WHAT!?" Laura let out dropping her bag. "What the hell happened?"

"From what Rogue told me he shoved her and Jubes away from a grenade..." Ray said backing away from the clone as her arms began to shake. "He... didn't get clear in time... If he wasn't so damned tough he'd... well, he's hurt but he'll make it..." He began before Laura brushed past him, briskly walking away. "What the...?"

"Why is she...?" Jean began, trying to come up with a word to describe the clone's emotions.

"Upset?" Abigail supplied. "Well I wouldn't say she's real friendly, but she and James kinda connect somehow. Maybe 'cause he treats her like anyone the rest of us. Or something." She sighed. "Or maybe it's because me and the other's are her first friends and she's just being protective. I dunno."

0--0

"Ah, modern medicine works wonders, does it not?" Henry McCoy, AKA the Beast, mused as he finished bandaging up James' back. "The gel I used should speed your recovery, but you will need a few days."

"Thanks Doc." James let out, bandages littering his back as he lay down on the bed, only a pair of boxers and a white sheet on him.

"I would recommend that you don't shift until you've recovered but you rarely shift to begin with." Henry continued. "Beyond that try to lay face down and avoid aggravating your condition for a while with some bed rest." He added as Laura walked in hesitantly.

She did not like the medical bay. Hell she didn't like hospitals in general, the sterile smells and feelings reminded her too much of Hydra's labs. She knew there was nothing to worry about here, but the feeling never went away, even Logan had attested as much.

Then again why she had stomped off down here was still beyond her. She had felt angry, that was a feeling she was quite familiar with, but the other she couldn't recognize right away. A friend, something she had gained only recently in her life, had been injured. A person who had shown genuine concern for each blow she received during their fight with Deadpool, worried for her. That's when it struck the clone.

She was worried for him now.

"Ah, Laura." Beast said with a slight smile as he saw the girl. "Well I'm done here. You two keep each other company then." He said, moving to walk out, passing the clone as she was felt alone with James.

"Uh, hey." She let out.

"Hey." James replied before groaning softly.

"Are you... in pain?" She asked before moving to sit down in the chair next to him.

"Manageable." James replied. "At least it doesn't feel like Amara in her lava form doing a tap dance on my back anymore."

"...Uh... I get the impression I should say something, but I don't know what." Laura admitted. "I'm not used to... this."

"I'd rather not get used to it." James chuckled. "Just hang around for a bit. Could use the company."

"Even if I have nothing to say?"

"Even then."

"...Okay."


	10. Is Something Normal Too Much To Ask For?

Shout Outs

Shout Outs...

Proud to be an X-Nerd: I still don't get why you thought it was the end. I'll tell people when it's the end, trust me.

The Notorious SMP: That would work up until he found out what happened. Then the bloodbath would continue in the backyard.

X00001: A grenade to the back would do that to a guy.

0--0

To say James had walked to the kitchen would be an overstatement of the facts. Slowly limped would be considered far more accurate as he staggered along past the stairs on the way to his destination with slow but steady steps. "What are you doing up?" He heard turning his head to see Kitty rush down the steps to him dressed in a short blue skirt and white shirt with lace edging. "You should still be in bed!"

"A guy can only lay face down staring at the same wall for so long." James replied with a slight shrug as he continued on. "Besides, I'm hungry. Therefore I'll go eat something."

"Well, yeah. But still shouldn't you ask someone to get it for you?" Kitty continued as she watched his ponderous walk. "You still don't look too good."

"Yeah, well taking a grenade to the back'll do that to a guy." James said dryly as a jeep pulled up in front of the mansion. "Someone expecting company?"

"Oh, that's my boyfriend!" Kitty squealed turning to look out as three people exited the vehicle. "...And two of his friends..." She added dryly as Todd, Freddy and Lance walked in. "Lance, what are they...?"

"Hey, don't look at me." Lance said, wearing a pair of black slacks and a cream coloured t-shirt. "They wanted to see the Prof, so they pestered me for a ride."

"Hey, it's you again." Freddy said as he walked over to James, patting him on the pat strongly.

"GAH!" James cried out dropping to a knee as Freddy gasped.

"BLOB!" Kitty cried out, glaring at the huge mutant as the other boys winced.

"I'm okay..." James groaned out.

"Jeeze man, what happened to you?" Todd asked.

"Hey, I didn't hit you THAT hard!" Freddy added.

"He got hit with a grenade yesterday! He's still hurt!" Kitty shouted as James forced himself back to his feet.

"A grenade!" Todd cried out, looking the wounded student over. "Man, if I get hit with one o'those I hope I just end up like you."

"Thank you." James said dryly as he rotated his shoulders.

"Are you okay?" Kitty asked after she was done glaring at the other, setting a hand on his arm.

"It's fine." He replied, groaning slightly as he began to limp away to the kitchen. "Don't worry. Just go on your date, I'll be okay."

"Hey, I was just worried!" Kitty spat out as Lance took her arm.

"He's just being a guy." Lance said. "If he wants to tough it out let him. Keep his pride from being wounded."

"Ugh, men..." Kitty groaned out, turning to the door and walking through it phasing her body past the doors rather than opening them.

"We'll go see the bald dude now, you go get her stuck in a tree." Todd said, chuckling slightly.

"Shut up man." Lance said, shaking his head as he walked to the door, ending up walking right into the door since he did no possess his girlfriend's powers. "Ow..." He let out before opening the door, walking outside as his friend's laughed aloud.

"Aw man, that was good!" Todd laughed out. "Now, let's see if ole Xavier can give us a hand."

0--0

"Oh, come on Kitty. Take it easy." Lance sighed as he pulled his jeep up to a local restaurant. It wasn't high end, but it wasn't a fast food joint either with a warm and cozy environment.

"Lance, he really got hurt." Kitty replied as she exited the jeep. "At least care or something."

"Hey, nothing I can do about it." Lance replied, stepping from the jeep as well. "I'm just saying if he can move around let him." Groaning slightly he stepped over and gently took her arm. "Look, let's drop it for now, okay? I promised I'd take you out for a good date, so let's make it a good date."

"Yeah, I guess." Kitty replied as she let herself be led into the eatery. Their relationship had been going through a rough patch, punctuated by Lance's attack on Abigail.

Well 'attack' may have been stretching it, 'test' would have been closer as all he was supposed to do was force Abigail to use her powers to defend herself, the ability to make her yellow clouds and fly on them.

The ability to create earthquakes mattered little if the target wasn't on the ground to begin with.

Still it was the principle of the matter in her mind, Lance shouldn't have done it, Magneto's orders or not.

Their differences either drew them together or pushed them apart. She wanted a strong man would could keep her safe (Not that she needed it, but she loved the feeling) and who's soul she could heal. He needed direction and someone to help smooth off his rough edges.

On the other hand their views tended to conflict with her morals and optimism clashing with his world weary and sometimes pessimistic views.

She sighed as the waitress led them to a table. It wasn't the first time they had a rough patch, and it wouldn't be the last. She just wished it would go away.

She was finally done letting him languish on second base, she wanted him on third.

0--0

"Ohh, pretty lights..." Todd let out as he and Freddy looked at the ceiling of Xavier's office as Ororo walked inside the room.

"Why are those two on the floor of your office?" She asked, stepping around the two bodies. "And why are they acting like Kurt did after his 'five minute English lesson'?"

The 'five minute English lesson' was dubbed such as it was a technique a telepath could use to teach an individual another language if needed, along with the written version. The user merely implanted the knowledge from one brain to another. For a telepath it meant he could speak any language, provided he could reach the mind of a speaker of that language. Implanting it into his mind was effortless, into others however...

Those people saw stars for around half an hour or so.

"They wanted to learn Japanese." Xavier replied, looking over his ledger. "Why I am not sure, it was not place to pry too much. They did say they were planning to go there."

"I see." Ororo replied, looking down at the pair as Freddy began to hug a chair, calling it 'Sugar Bunches'. "Anyways, I asked my friend in Las Vegas for any information on the FOH that he could find. Turns out there is someone who was leaving them large donations of cash, anonymously I may add."

"Go on."

"He overheard a rumour that the donation was from a 'quote' military man 'unquote' who left a few pieces of equipment."

"Weapons?" Xavier asked with a slight frown.

"He couldn't find out, but that was the impression I was left with." Ororo sighed. "No names were mentioned, but I get the impression it was Trask. Might have been someone in the armed forces, but I doubt it."

"Agreed." Xavier nodded. "The FOH seem to be under armed right now, but not anywhere close to enough."

"James' injury was not your fault." Ororo said, moving around the desk to set a hand on his shoulder.

"No, I know that." Xavier replied, patting the hand. "But it bothers me that anyone would try to kill someone for a difference. I realize it has occurred throughout history, but I would hope mankind would have learned by now. Had it not been for his powers..."

"He will be fine Professor. He just needs some rest is all."

0--0

"Oh my god, shouldn't you be in bed!" Amanda let out as she saw James in a chair at the kitchen, a bowl of cereal and glass of milk before him.

"I got hungry." He said with a shrug. "Besides, I'll live to fight another day and all that jazz." He added, bringing a spoonful of Special K to his mouth for eating.

"You took a grenade to the back!" She continued. "I don't care how tough you are--" She began before a BAMF and a cloud of brimstone announced Kurt's arrival.

"Oh, hey Amanda." Kurt said, kissing her cheek. "James. Surprised you're up and about. Shouldn't you--"

"Be in bed." James finished for him. "Look, I got hungry and I got bored of staring at the walls. Give a guy a break, will ya." He groaned.

"..Vell, try not to overwork yourself." Kurt said, moving to a cupboard and pulling out a granola bar, then a second. "Vhen everyone heard what happened to you we all got kind of vorried. Not saying you can't be moving about, but... take it easy, okay."

"Yeah, yeah. No lifting Scott's car for light workouts." James said dismissively. "I'll be fine, quit worrying." He said before continuing to eat his cereal.

"Uh, Kurt." Amanda began, taking hold of the furry mutants arm. "We should talk." She said before dragging him out of the kitchen.

"Not asking." James sighed as he continued to eat.

0--0

"What is with him?" Amanda asked Kurt as they entered the lounge. "That guy is acting like he can just tough through this like... like..."

"Like a guy?" Kurt supplied.

"More or less." Amanda said as Xavier wheeled himself into the room. "He's hurt, he shouldn't be up."

"I'm assuming this is over our dear Mr. Gemini." Xavier said, casing the teenagers to jump. "I just overheard you is all."

"James is in the kitchen have a bowl full of cereal." Kurt explained. "It's not so much the fact he's up, it's how he's trying to act like nothing is at all vrong. I mean, yeah he's tough, but still..."

"I just think he must be hurting too much for this." Amanda added.

"He is in pain, but he is managing it, I could sense it from my office." Xavier explained. "But I don't think that's what concerns him at the moment, it's his pride."

"His pride?" Kurt parroted. "Quite honestly Professor if I survived a grenade to the back I doubt I'd need to worry about pride."

"True, but consider his powers for a moment." Xavier began.

"Super strength?" Amanda asked.

"Gender shifting." Xavier clarified.

"Gender... He can turn into a girl?"

"A girl with enhanced speed, agility and reflexes." Xavier continued. "But still a girl, and with it the social stigma of a man becoming 'feminized', for lack of a better turn. Old taunts such as 'you hit like a girl' or 'don't cry like a girl' are easily shrugged off, but if you turn into one..."

"You think he's overcompensating?" Kurt asked.

"Possibly." Xavier replied with a nod. "He may feel the need to assert himself in more male dominated aspects, such as coping with pain or dealing with situations aggressively. I think he will come to terms with his powers, most likely with help, but for now he feels the need to be... macho."

"So he wants to be a guy." Amanda sighed. "I mean more of a guy then guys want to be."

"Yes, quite." Xavier said with a nod. "For now it's best we leave him be. He will recover, I've little doubt."

0--0

"Okay, I'll admit it." Kitty said with a soft smile, as the waitress lit the candle between them. "When you go all out, you go all out."

The fact that Lance had a bouquet of flowers delivered to their table was a pleasant surprise, as was the scented candle brought over for them. All they needed was two Italians with an accordion and a big plate of spaghetti to make in complete. The private booth and dimmed ever so slightly lighting just made the atmosphere a little more intimate.

"I played here in the evenings for some cash." Lance said with a shrug, referring to his guitar work. "So I said I wanted to treat my girl right, and they jumped to help."

"You should so join a band." Kitty said with a soft smile, resting her chin on a palm. "You're good enough."

"Long road trips, drugs, sex and rock and roll?" Lance chuckled slightly with a scoff. "Nah. Sides, we got a good thing going. I wanna stick with that." He said leaning forwards slightly.

"Lance..." Kitty said softly, her hand travelling to meet his.

The journey stopped as a crash sounded at the window. "Mutant loving filth!" They heard as they turned to the window.

A Molotov Cocktail had exploded on a table, burning a man seated there as a group of men in paramilitary garb began throwing more lit bottles through the broken widow, each wore with a mask on their face, gas mask, ski mask or even a hockey mask. Chants of 'Mutie lovers' and 'Destroy all mutants' filled the air.

"Oh, they are so..." Lance growled out as one of the waiters pleaded with the mob to disperse, a rock smacking into his head for the trouble. "Kitty, get everyone out of here!" He barked out as he rushed to the window.

"Wait, Lance!" Kitty cried out as he stopped moving, an open hand aimed at the ground as the tremors began to shake the earth below them. Plates fell off tables to the ground and glasses tumbled over as the mob toppled over. "Lance, stop, we don't want to wreck the joint!" She added as Lance continued to focus, a fissure opening outside the window as the earth pushed up, lifting the frightened mob and spilling them backwards before lowering again.

"Run!" A mob member cried out as he turned tail. "Run for it!"

"The hell was that!?"

"That mutant tried to kill us!"

"Peh, should of." Lance muttered, rubbing at his head before turning to look at Kitty. "You okay?" He asked before she slapped him across the face. "OW! Kitty, what was that for!?"

"You could have dropped this place down on our heads you jerk!" She snapped with her fists clenched.

"Hey, I got more control then that!" He yelled back, jerking a thumb at the flames as waiters and waitresses began spraying them with fire extinguishers. "And besides they just tried to BURN it down around us! I just saved our lives here!"

"By nearly killing us!?" She shouted back. Sure, she could have phased herself through the falling building, but no one else around was that lucky. "And THEM!?"

"Hey, they just tried to kill us for being different! Don't blame me!" He shouted back as Kitty forced back tears.

"You know what, forget this. "I'm going home. WALKING home." She added before turning the entrance, phasing through the material as she stomped away.

"Ugh, not again..." Lance groaned, moving to sit down.

"I see that your girlfriend can be a bit..." The manager began as he walked over to Lance. "Fickle."

"At times." Lance sighed, rubbing his head. "She can be irritating too, but she's kind, sweet and just... makes a guy feel right, ya know?"

"Even so, is it worth the arguments?" The man asked. "You might want to leave now, before the police come. Thank you for stopping those men..."

"Don't worry..." Lance sighed as he stood up. "I gotta defend my favourite joint, right?"

"Just be here for six on Sunday."

"Wouldn't miss it."

0--0

"Stupid Lance..." Kitty grumbled as she stomped down the street. Even as she fumed she logically realized that something had to be done back there, and Lance had done it. And he had directed his powers pretty well. And the building didn't crash down. And maybe she shouldn't have gotten so riled up about it.

But maybe in the end she was angry because she just wanted things to go right, to be normal. There were times that she wished she could give her powers to someone else, to be a normal teenage girl again. To be able to walk down the street without wondering were the next mob was or what Magneto was up to. Today was the day things were supposed to be normal. It hadn't and she took it out on the easiest person to take it out on, Lance Alvers.

It was so easy to blame him, he was the bad boy. He was supposed to do bad things and get blamed for them. It was just so easy to blame him for everything else in the as well. Fake being heroes? Blame Lance. Can't tell Magneto no? Blame Lance.

Mob attacks during a hot date? Blame Lance.

It was too easy. And, she reflected, too instinctive.

"Why can't I be normal...?" She groaned, turning her face skywards.

0--0

"You're not fooling anyone." James heard as he walked into the lounge where Laura sat on the couch, controllers in hand as Link and Mario battled it out on the T.V. as a barrel rolled onto the bridge the characters were battling on. "You shouldn't be up."

"Well I am." James let out as he walked about the couch to avoid obstructing her view before sitting next to her. "Deal with it."

"You don't heal like I do." Laura replied as Mario was sent skywards from a bom-omb.

"Only Logan heals like you do." James replied. "I just don't want to be cooped up in a room, okay?"

"Is that all?"

"..."

"It's not my place to ask, but..."

"...I just don't like feeling weak, okay..."

"...I think I understand that, but why would you feel weak?"

"I've been face down in my bed since yesterday. Why wouldn't I?"

"You took a grenade to the back and lived. I don't think that's weak at all."

"...Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, shut up and play me."

"...Sure."


	11. Live From Xavier's

Shout Outs...

X00001: Glad you enjoyed it.

The Notorious SMP: Still have to have Spider-Man in the fic before anyone can meet him.

Proud to be an X-Nerd: I thought they played off each other well too.

Jade: Can't crank out a big chapter all the time. Unfortunately.

JC-WV: Deadpool. And thank you.

Jade (Again) : I know, I know. . Blame real life.

Unknown: Not yet.

Raven Hufflepuff: Thanks man.

saturnssailor: Good to hear.

Kairan1979: This would be an update.

Red red red ribbon: Thanks. Nice name, by the way.

TWISTED CHEERYS: Done.

witch girl: Sorry, I'm hex-proof.

star: I got a new (And big) TV. Yeah, it's been good.

Everyone: Yes, I know how I can be. . Merry late Christmas as well, and happy new years. Sorry if this chapter seems a little random, I couldn't decided where I was going with it for awhile.

0---0

"Hyah!" Abigail cried out as she threw a fist before returning it to her hip only to stab it out again with another cry. Again she repeated the motion, even as Logan peered into the room.

"Practicing what Hotshot showed ya, huh Blondie?" He let out, walking into the workout area, a foot long box in his hand as Abigail stopped to look at him.

"Yeah..." She said, sighing slightly. "I figured I might as well until he's good enough to teach me hands on and what not..."

"So why the interest anyway?" Logan asked with a frown. "Yer powers ain't exactly meant for it."

"That's just it!" Abigail cried out, throwing her hands out in exasperation. "James is super strong, Laura has claws, Vic's freaking agile and Terry can scream and knock a forest down! What's the best I can do? Throw a bit of my cloud stuff and scare a squirrel away!"

"Combat ain't always hitting things, ya know?" Logan replied. "But it's good to see you show some initiative."

"If I wasn't here I'd probably be in a group called 'The Initiative.'" Abigail replied dryly as Logan opened the box. "What's that?" She asked as he pulled out a metal stick that was around five inches long and about three inches thick.

"A little thing Forge whipped up." Logan said, discarding the box and showing off a switch in the center. Flipping it the switch fit into a groove, ensuring it would not accidentally be returned to it's former position. Each end began to stretch out until the entire thing was six feet in length. "A little quarterstaff, or bo staff if you prefer. Can fit in your back pocket and you can whip it out. It'll add some reach and power to yer attacks, two things you lack."

"How does this guy make stuff like this?" Abigail said, taking the weapon and noticing how the weight seemed light enough to wield but heavy enough to inflict damage.

"Didn't ask." Logan admitted with a shrug. "I'm sure James can show ya how to use it, but I might as well give you a few lessons on it."

0---0

"You look like crap." Laura said bluntly as Abigail stumbled into the room they shared.

"Thanks..." Abigail replied as she walked over to her bed and fell face down on it. "Gawd... Since J-Man is still on the injured list your dad just decided he'd take over my lessons. I feel like I got put through the wringer..."

"Tch, can't be that bad." Laura said, returning to her book. "You want rough, try moving hand over hand across a pole for a mile straight. That's tough."

"Ugh..." The blonde groaned. What sort of hell did Hydra put her through anyways? Better not to ask. Lifting her head she read the title of Laura's book. "Pinocchio?"

"Dr. Risman snuck it in when she was supposed to read the Art of War to me." Laura explained. "I found it in the library. I guess I... understand Pinocchio a little."

To Abigail it made sense, a book of a puppet trying to become a boy being read by a weapon who was trying to become a person.

Hell if anyone deserved to life a good life it was Laura.

0---0

"Man, what a day..." Abigail sighed as she and Victor walked from school. "Dull as all get out."

"I hear ya." Victor replied. "Kinda wish ole' James would hurry up and heal already. At least then we can share the misery."

"Yeah, I know." Abigail said with a laugh. "But come on, we can--"

"Get yo ass kicked!"

"...I'm starting to hate her." Abigail muttered as she and Victor turned around, seeing the brunette again, with her black haired friend and 'Mellissa', her hand in a cast. "How's the hand?"

"Shut up freaking mutie!" Mellissa barked back.

"The big bastard and the bitch ain't here this time." The brunette grinned. "No one to save you this time."

"I don't need any this time." Abigail replied.

"Oh, how's that?" The girl smirked as Abigail grabbed Victor, forming a cloud under them as they started to rise into the sky, the girl's jaw dropping.

"By not being around to fight." Abigail grinned as she waved. "Bye now."

"That is so whack!" The black haired girl said as the two flew away.

"I am going to kick her ass..." The brunette vowed. "Sooner or later... Her ass is mine!"

0---0

"How's the back doing?" Jubilee asked as she walked into the gym, watching James do a few stretches on the floor.

"Better." He replied, topless save some bandages. "Beast says I'll be back in the DR in a couple of days. Which is good, I've got a bit of pent up energy to release."

"I bet." She replied, moving over to sit next to him. "I... never got the chance to thank you... You got hurt because of me... I..."

"Hey, s'ok." James said, waving as he stopped his stretches, folding his legs under him. "Sides, Uncle woulda torn me a new one if I didn't help out."

"Uncle?" Jubilee added as Laura entered the room.

"Hey X." James said waving to the clone.

"Hey." She replied, adjusting her karate gi.

"Yeah, Uncle." James said as he stood up, groaning softly. "My parents died in a car crash when I was a few weeks old. My Uncle pretty much raised me as his own kid."

"You have an uncle?" Laura asked as she moved over to a punching bag.

"Yeah, my father's brother." James replied. "Nice guy, he runs a bar in Chicago, you'd like him."

"Maybe." Laura replied before starting to kick at the bag. "How's the back?"

"It'll be DR cleared in a couple o' days." James said with a stretch.

0---0

"Senator What's-his-dink on again?" James asked as he walked into the sitting room, shirt back on and towel about his neck, Laura and Jubilee following him.

"Senator Kelly." Xavier replied automatically as he, along with Scott, Logan and Henry watched the TV.

"--and as part of our counter-mutant policies the state of New York is diverting funds to a new organization, designed to observe, police and as needed restrain and arrest dangerous mutants!" The man, Senator Kelly declared on the television as James moved to stand next to the couch, Jubilee sitting down on it while Laura sat on the floor. "The Mutant Response Department, or MRD, will be trained and equipped to deal with mutants as needed. Currently they are still a private organization, but if they perform well we can integrate them into our normal law enforcement agencies."

"Should we be more worried or less worried that they're 'private'?" Jubilee asked wearingly as the crowds on the TV cheered.

"My experience..." Logan drawled out. "More."

"The MRD, with the help of the human protection movement, Friends of Humanity--"

"Nazi by any name..." James muttered.

"--will also help in setting up a registration agency to allow the more law-abiding mutants to register their powers and identities to help ease this hysteria." Logan let out a loud snort at this. "In addition, we are also working out details on a required Mutant Registration Act that will, by law, require such things be mandatory. Any questions from--" Kelly got out before Xavier turned the TV off.

"I want to hit that guy." James sighed. "Wouldn't help nothin', but I want to hit him."

"Quite understandable." Xavier admitted. "But that would cause us greater problems. For now we have to do what we can to show that we are no threat to humanity."

"So, we have Trask, the FOH, Striker, and these MRDs on us?" James summed up.

"And here I wanted to live in the woods." Laura mused, blowing a couple strands of hair from her eyes.

0---0

"We've re-acquired the stabilizers needed to finish the Sentinels." Clansey said as he walked into Trask's office. "I am told they will be ready and operational by tomorrow."

"Good to hear." Trask said, chuckling. "Three dozen units, almost ready to go."

"You are, of course, aware we need better facilities to--"

"I am." Trask said, frowning. His factory was not up to the standards needed. It took a month to have three Sentinels made to standards, and because he had to rely more on the black market for goods and weapons the quality was below standard. "And Project: Battle-Bot?"

"A year to completion, at least." Clansey replied. "Assuming materials don't come in faster."

"Alright. For now we begin Operation: Live." Trask said, holding up his coffee mug.

"Live from where?"

0---0

"School sucks." Laura sighed as she sat down on the couch, mentally going through the list of games there. She honestly couldn't say why she enjoyed them so much, in fact it seemed so childish. To pick up a controller and control someone else, even a fictional being, live their life, see the world through their eyes. To play Gears of War where mankind fought against a murderous species called 'Locust' to a plumber fighting turtles over a princess in the Mario games in a land that made no sense, to Harvest Moon where you just ran a farm.

Maybe it was that for awhile, for that time she had the controller in her hands... she could be a saviour, a racer, a knight, or a farmer...

And not a clone... Not a copy of someone else. Which led to another thought; was she a true copy? Her genetic code was tampered with before her creation, the fact that she was female alone proved that. She liked to play video games, Logan did not. He liked to work on his bike or another vehicle while she had taken to carving in the school's workshop. He'd expressed a desire to drive off to Canada during the next week while she was, oddly enough, content to stay at the mansion, her desire to return to the woods lessening each day.

She had friends here. James, the leader which she could respect, Victor who would try and make her smile, Abigail who would introduce her to new things and Theresa who she wanted to protect. Even the other kids at the mansion, the ones she attacked to get at Logan, had mostly welcomed her with open arms. She had ruffled Jamie's hair for Pete sakes!

Hell, the sayings used in the rest of the world still took some getting used to. Some were obvious, like 'two bird, one stone' but what did 'Achilles' heel' have to do with Kurt and a sad Amanda? Or why Sam said she 'kicked his tail' when she beat him in checkers? He didn't have a tail. And who was 'Romeo' what how was he like Scott? Or this 'Juliet' to Jean?

People confused her.

"Hey X, s'up?" James said as he walked into the room, stretching out as he leaned on the couch.

"Not much." She replied, looking up at him. "Just... Hmm?" Let off, tilting her head upwards.

"What, Kitty squeal on the phone again?" James asked, knowing she and her enhanced hearing picked something up that he couldn't.

"Something's coming." Laura said, standing up, walking to the window. "A... jet of some kind."

"Jet?" James let out as he followed her to the window. "Jets don't fly over the mansion." Although he wouldn't put it past the airports to change their routes to make them fly overhead just to aggravate the residences.

0---0

"The cheerleader did it." Henry mused as he and Xavier sat in his office, watching CSI: New York.

It was a pass time and guilty pleasure for them to watch the newest episodes of the CSI series, pick through the evidence presented to them and guess the killer during the last ten minutes of the show. It was a credit to the writer's ability to make swerves that the killers were obvious in some episodes and completely unexpected in others.

However the two smartest mutants in the whole school only picked the right character thirty percent of the time. Why was beyond them, although the Beast suggested that they were too genre blind to figure it out.

Before the investigator of their crime drama could reach any conclusion the TV turned to static, surprising both.

"You HAVE paid the cable bill, right Charles?" Henry asked.

"The children would riot if I didn't." Xavier replied as the picture came back, this time to a moustached man in an office. "Trask!"

"Greetings to the world." The man began.

0---0

"I apologize for taking control of the airwaves so abruptly." Trask began, looking into the camera, hiding a smirk as his subordinates watched on. "As you know the mutant population is growing... It may seem slow now, but if left unchecked humans will be the minority in less than a century. To safeguard the future, humanity's future, we must act now! Act before the mutants breed the numbers to overthrow us, enslave us!

"The only way to do this is treat them and the perverse genes that bred them like weeds! We must tear them out, and burn them! We shall cleanse the world of these rampant genes by use of my robotic protectors, the Sentinels!"

0---0

Xavier looked on horrified as the picture charged, the sounds of jet exhaust coming not from the TV but directly outside as dull thuds were heard, matching the Sentinels on the screen that landed on his front yard, a camera hovering far above the machines but close enough to see some his students move to the windows, watching the robots approach the mansion.

"Today I will be a prophet!" Trask's voice continued. "If the mutants in America and beyond should succeed in plunging us towards a world of war, then the result will not be the burning of the earth, and thus the victory for mutant kind, but the annihilation of the mutant race in the world!"


	12. Warzone

Shout Outs...

X00001: Glad to hear you liked it.

The Notorious SMP: Sarcasm noted. And my place is sprayed for nuclear zombies.

Kairan1979: Only James is mine. Abigail, Victor and Theresa are take from the comics. (Cloud Nine, Anole and Siryn respectively.)

Note: This chapter contains one big, massive battle, and my first real large scale fight. I'm not sure how it will come out, but I hope it's good.

0---0

For some reason Rouge loved Linkin Park's song 'Numb'. She had spent years of her life being groomed by Mystique for a role, at least that was the impression she had from the woman, being deceived and lied to, manipulated. She hated her. Which was a part of Numb's charm, she was in the song's words very much 'be more like me and be less like you', even if she hadn't quite figured out who she was.

She was a teenage girl, listening to loud music. Music that was cut off as a barrage of laser blasts assaulted her room, annihilating the stereo and damaging the room about her. Before a part of the ceiling fell on to her body, sending her into unconsciousness she had a brief wish to be a person that paid less attention to lyrics.

0---0

Protecting other people was not what Hydra trained her to do, but tackling James out of the way of a barrage of laser fire to the point of literal 'beam spam' seemed to be on instinct alone. "Sentinels!" She cried out, expanding her hearing. She could make out six points from where the fire came, the shots slamming into the girl's wing in what was possibly only a first wave. Briefly she hoped they didn't destroy her underwear drawer.

A moment later she chastised herself for pondering such a mundane thing while under attack.

"I noticed!" James replied, rolling her off him as he got to his knees, his own training coming to fore, even though very little was for forty or so foot metallic monsters. "We got to take the fight out THERE before the whole mansion drops around our ears!" He said, standing up, ramming through a wall, adding a hole to the many already accumulating.

Pausing for a moment he considered the situation. Six robots, all firing weapons from their chests while forming a loose line. Amara, Ray and Jubilee returned fire, damaging the plate on one before they were forced to seek cover. Rushing forth he charged, zig-zagging as the robots as they fired back only to watch Sam, a literal human (Or mutant) cannonball slam into one, staggering it. Trying to further the damage he leapt up slamming a kick into the side of it's knee. The robot responded by lifting it's foot to try and stomp him only for him to kick at the joint again.

A ruby blast cut the air as Scott, visor on his face, stormed onto the yard, optic powers firing out, Jean, Kurt and Kitty behind him. Abigail flew out from the second story, Amara and Bobby on her cloud as well as they landed the pair opening fire.

Leaping upwards he landed on the back of a Sentinel slamming a fist into it's neck while Scott barked orders about. Abigail's scream caught his ear as he turned to see another mechanical beast about to open fire, jumping away just before the blast struck, toppling it's kin. He got to his feet just in time to see a giant metal foot fill his field of view. "Oh sh--"

0---0

"iiiit!" Scott heard as James was kicked like a soccer ball onto the roof of the mansion. Narrowing his visor's setting he sent out a blast of power at the offending robot, severing it's neck.

As the second one toppled over the remainder began to fire upon him forcing Jean to raise a shield over him, the others scattering across the yard to gain their attention, a bark of warning piercing the air. Beast barrelled out the door, having relocated the professor to the more secure areas first, before crossing the field and leaning onto an offending robot, tearing at a joint that refused to give.

James, meanwhile, shrugged off the pain and stood up as Sam smashed into another Sentinel's head, bending it to the left but otherwise not impairing it. Laura, like himself before, was leaping up and striking at the knee joints to little effect, unable to put the strength behind her blows needed to pieces the Sentinel. He forced down a well of fear.

These were not training robots. These things were built to take punishment and give it in turn.

Leaping down he charged across the field towards Laura.

0---0

Laura gave herself a quick mental tally on the battle thus far. James had, inadvertently, used one Sentinel to destroy another, Scott, aka Cyclops, dropped another with a well placed shot, the third Sam had damaged was brought down by tandem firing by Amara, Jubilee and Ray while Bobby froze it's legs, impairing it's movement. The other three were still firing, as Kurt ported onto the back of one in an effort to repeat James' tactic.

This had actually backfired as it seemed someone programmed these things to LEARN, and instead of firing another just tried to grab him, forcing him to leap away only to be slammed with an open hand, sending him crashing to the ground.

To what effect she couldn't tell as she was too busy dodging robot boots. She did notice Kitty rushing over to the blue mutant to drag him away or at least use her phasing powers to protect him.

"X, foot claws out!" She heard James bark out as he charged back to the fray. "And take my hand." She had only known him for a month and a half but had learned to trust him, if only because he always seemed genuinely concerned for her. Reaching out she grabbed his hand, popped the claws hidden in her feet as he bodily swung her, making her cry out in surprise, at the knee joint, leaping up to make the hit.

Adamantium claws and super strength combined sliced past the joint, the robot extending it's arms and shifting it's weight to keep it's balance only for him to leap up and swing her again, slashing at the neck on the Sentinel, severing the head, letting it roll of it's shoulders and onto the ground, the body landing atop of it.

"What do you call THAT!?" She asked as the landed, him cradling her.

"Uh, grievous assault with a body?" James with a nervous grin.

"Uhh..." Laura groaned. "When Hydra said I was meant to be a weapon I don't think they had this in mind..."

"Come on, two more--"

"Make it fourteen..." Laura added, pointing upwards, a dozen flying figures in the distance rushing towards the mansion.

"You gotta be..."

0---0

"What in the...?" Logan muttered as he stopped his bike, looking upwards as the sounds of jets came from over head. Just as he peered up a formation or humanoid machines flew over head, heading towards his own destination. "Sentinels? Oh no..." He let out, revving up the engine and gunning it down the road as smoke began to rise over the tree line.

0---0

"We have to hold the line! Keep them away from the mansion!" Scott called out, just as a blast of lightning from the sky stuck another robot, sending it down.

"I apologize for my late arrival!" Ororo called out as she floated overhead. "I was in the woods when Charles contacted me!"

"Better late than never!" Abigail added as Scott managed another shot on the neck of the last robot of the first wave.

"Everyone, get your wind back before the second wave lands!" Scott bellowed out. "Abi, help Kitty with Kurt! Get him to the med bay! Everyone else, get ready!"

"I can move him myself!" Abigail replied, flying over to Kurt and quickly forming a cloud under him, flying them both off into the mansion.

"Okay fine..." Scott muttered before looking up at the next group of Sentinels, opening fire on the first, blasting part of it's head off while Jean focused on the second, her telekinesis crushing the head in.

"These must be mass production models!" Jean let out. "Not as powerful as the others, but still tough!"

"Well we're tougher!" Scott replied, firing again as Roberto flew overhead.

"Can't get a tan with these tin cans flying about!" He complained, the robots landing just as he smashed into one Sentinel's head, smashing it in.

"Nice of you to join us!" Scott called out just as Logan came barrelling past the gate, claws unsheathed as he leapt from the bike onto the back of a Sentinel, his claws digging into it's back as he climbed up, Ray and Amara firing on two more of the robots, each falling soon after, the remainder returning fire.

"Eighteen more! Coming from the west!" Kitty called out, Scott's head tuning to look.

"God damn it!" He cried out as chaos continued to consume the field. Sentinels open fired on mutants at range or swung at those close enough. Logan decapitated one, as Amara and Jubilee focused fire on another. James continued to swing Laura about like a sword, focusing on the lower joints to impair the robots movement. Kitty ran out and phased through the legs, her phasing ability disrupting their components until a laser blast struck an iced-up Bobby whose frozen armour shattered apart. Screaming out Jubilee turned her fire to the offending robot as Kitty rushed over to remove him from the field.

Overhead Ororo called upon wind, lightning and hail to pummel the third wave, trying to slow and damage as many as she could. Sam and Roberto slammed into Sentinels as ruby blasts shot out, telekinesis grabbed and tore metal, claws slashed and lava burned.

As the last of the second wave fell to the ground the third wave landed, only two destroyed before arrival. Quickly refocusing the mutants reformed their lines, training coming to the fore, even as Amara was blasted aside from a laser hitting her lava form. Powers were used to effect as their foes let lose laser blasts the Sentinels now closing range in an effort to crush them with their might.

Ten more minutes passed by, seeming closer to ten hours. The battle came to a halt once James had thrown Laura into the final robot, her claws slashing it's neck and severing head from body as a returning Abigail caught her in the air.

"Is... is that it?" Abigail asked. Craters were littered across the yard, the girl's wing was missing most of the front wall, rooms filled with holes in walls and ceilings. Sentinel parts littered the ground, previously a battle zone as the residents began to look about.

"I... think so..." Scott replied, looking around a moment. "Storm! Sunspot! Cloud Nine! Quick patrol around the area, see if we missed any! Dual! Anole! Get Iceman and Magma inside to the med bay! Everyone else, get your wind back and stay ready in case of another wave!"

No one questioned his orders, only doing as told. It was only twenty minutes later that they could relax and take stock of the damage done and how safe they really were...

0---0

"All in all the kids handled themselves pretty good." Logan admitted as he, Xavier, Henry and Ororo met in Xavier's office. "For a situation that went right to hell they stood up pretty well."

"Agreed, I am proud of everyone here..." Xavier said with a sigh. "But we must face facts; this changes things..."

"Yeah..." Logan growled out. "Now Trask is coming to hit us on our own turf; if we didn't have everyone at home it coulda gone a lot worse..."

"Yes... Henry, do you have a... casualty report?"

"Kurt's the worst off, took a full on hit." Henry muttered, looking at his notes. "A couple broken ribs, bruised tailbone, minor concussion... It's a miracle he isn't worse off. Bobby and Amara were protected by their mutations, bruising to both their chests mainly. They'll recover in a couple of days. James, despite being used for a football isn't hurt, and avoided aggravating previous injuries.

"Rouge was found after the fight, under some debris. She's unconscious, but otherwise fine. The Seftons were out house hunting, and Tabitha and Jamie were in town. I took the liberty of calling them on their cells and informing them of the attack, they should be returning soon."

"The mansion is another story though Chuck." Logan began with a slight growl. "The girl's wing is a wreck. Jean's room is untouched, as is Tabitha's and Amara's but the others got blown apart. We'll have to move their stuff into storage and set them up in temporary rooms in the boys wing. Gaming room is damaged, but it ain't that bad. Library took a shot, but it's just a big hole. Gonna take some time to fix her up."

"Well it's not as if we haven't rebuilt before." Xavier said with a sigh, leaning back. "We should also look into investing in some anti-armour weapons for the security systems to destroy Sentinels specifically, and drill the children in ways to defeat them."

"I've already called Forge." Ororo added. "He wants to take some of the more intact ones apart to see how they work. I'm sure he'll be able to help come up with counter measures."

"Excellent. I've already pulled a hard drive from one of them." Henry replied. "I'm using it to try and decipher where they came from, but there is some form of encryption I have to get by first."

"Nice." Logan replied with a grin. "For now we gotta tough things out while the mansion is rebuilt. Again."

0---0

"Oh my god..." Amanda let out as she and her family returned to mansion, her father steering the car around a Sentinel head on the road. Sure they were told a battle had taken place, but this was still horrifying. She could see James and a charged up Roberto lugging robot parts to a large pile while another mutant, Forge if she recalled, poured over a mostly intact one. Scott, Rahne, Logan and Laura were nailing boards to damaged walls in an effort to at least weather proof the damaged structure while a team of Jamies were filling in pot holes and craters. "My god..."

They pulled up to the front, exiting the car and walking inside, a few sounds upstairs as Xavier wheeled out to greet them. "I apologize for the mess." He began. "We're still cleaning up after--"

"No apologies needed." Ricardo began. "Just tell me how I can help."

"We're moving furniture into storage for now, and sorting through what's salvageable." Xavier replied. "I'm sure the extra pair of hands won't hurt."

"Is... is Kurt alright?" Amanda began nervously, swallowing down her fear as Xavier sighed.

"He took a rather bad hit; Dr. McCoy is tending to him Amara and Bobby as we speak. Broken ribs mainly. He is awake if you..." He trailed off as the girl ran past him. "Ah, yes..."

"My god..." Margali sighed. "Just... my god..."

"We will recover, make no doubt..." Xavier assured her. "Although making sure you get your own housing is more important than before. No offence, you all been wonderful guests, but--"

"You're worried for our safety, I know." Ricardo replied. "We understand."

0---0

"I don't believe it... I do not believe it..." Trask let off, pacing behind his desk as he read the mission report. "Thirty-six Sentinels, all wiped out? ALL wiped out? And not one dead mutant TO SHOW FOR IT!?" He cried out, throwing the clip board into the wall.

"There were more mutants present that expected, only a handful were away from home and they were more skilled than anticipated." Clansey replied calmly. "We should consider altering our strategy in order to--"

"How many Guardians are operational?" Trask barked out.

"...Fifty-three." Clansey replied.

"Then we need to hit them at the high school..." Trask mused. "The older ones won't be there. We can crush them, publicly. We can show humans can stand up to these freaks!"

"Sir, I should point out that a battle there will risk a lot of property damage." Clansey replied. "I doubt people would appreciate that."

"The Guardians only target mutants." Trask replied, setting his hands on his desk. "And whatever property damage is done... Will. Be. Worth it..."


	13. Growth Spurt

Shout Outs...

X00001: Thanks, and no Rouge is still limited to 'suck people dry'.

The Notorious SMP: Glad to hear about the battle being good. Go me.

TWISTED CHEERYS: Thanks man. Enjoy.

wawaboy2: Maybe, but I figured it was time to wrap it up.

0---0

She lifted her head up, muttering slightly wondering why her foot was on the wall as she laid back down.

Then she remembered the wall was across the room and she sat up, bumping her head on something. Letting off a soft 'ow' she fell back to the bed before sitting up slowly again, looking about as she sat in bed. "What just happened to me?"

0---0

"Uh, I hate Mondays..." Kitty growled out as she phased a hand through her alarm clock, yawning as she woke up. Letting off a long yawn she collected her towels and bathing things and phased through her door and to the bathroom, eyes drooping as she found her destination, phasing through the door...

"HEY!"

And phasing back out of it. "Like, sorry James." She called back, blushing hotly, the recent events flooding into her mind. The girl's wing was mostly wasted, so she, Rouge and Abigail were roomed together in one of the empty room's in the boy's dorm for the duration.

Boy, super strength did WONDERS for a body.

0---0

"This just sucks." Victor sighed as he, James, Laura and Abigail began to pile into the van, Jean at the wheel. The sounds of construction came from nearby as worked began repairing and rebuilding the mansion.

"I'm just glad we aren't worse off." James replied, sitting down in the front, passenger's side.

"Point." Abigail replied before grinning. "So... how good a look did Kitty get?"

"Oh shut up!" James barked back.

"What?" Laura said, raising an eyebrow.

"What did Kitty do?" Jean asked as turned to look over her shoulder.

"She forgot what wing she was in when she went to the bathroom this--"

"Phased through the door..." Jean finished for him. "God, she's always doing that, half the time while someone's in there."

"So, I'm not the first then, huh?" James mused.

"First guy maybe." Jean replied with a smirk.

"_James, would you mind coming with me?" _Xavier sent outto the occupants of the van. _"A new mutant has appeared, I'd like you and Kitty to help recruit her."_

"_Uh, why me?" _James sent back. _"Why not Scott or Jean?"_

"_Jean's driving, and beside she'll be on your team, best to meet her right away since you are team leader. You'll need to learn first impressions anyway."_

"_Yeah, yeah."_ He sighed as he opened the door. "You guys hear that?"

"Yeah." Abigail said, pouting in her seat. "God damn you."

"Heh." James let off as he got out of the van.

0---0

"Plans for the Op are in the works." Clansey said as Trask walked over to his workstation. "And we've finished off two more Sentinels. It's going to take some more time to recover our losses."

"Good because we need them on the move." Trask replied. "Our scanners show a new mutant coming into her powers. We need to eliminate it before it comes into it's own."

"Where is this mutant located?"

0---0

"Ah, James. Cerebro was bringing up the information now." Xavier mused as James moved to stand behind him, the picture of a blonde, blue eyed girl coming onto the screen, her hair in a loose ponytail.

**NAME: **Cassandra Eleanor Lang

**GENDER: **Female

**LOCATION: **New York, New York

**POWERS: **Able to Alter Size and Mass

"So she can grow?" James mused.

"Yes, apparently." Xavier said. "Come along now, we should be going."

0---0

"Okay, so now what?" James said as he and Rogue walked out of the Blackbird, Xavier rolling after them.

"Myself and Rogue will go to the young woman's home and speak with her parents, once our rental vehicle arrives." Xavier began. "You are going to her school, to see if you can't speak with her, she must be confused on what's happening to her."

"I get ya." He said, pulling a paper out of his pocket with the information of the girl on it. "Hmm. Need a cab."

0---0

"Oh, great..." Scott muttered as he heard the door bell ring. There was a dent in Cassie's ceiling his wife was nagging him again about his declining to join the FOH while she was all but signed up already.

It was amazing what people who they didn't even know could affect a marriage.

After opening the door he sighed knowing it was about to effect it even more. "Greetings Mister Lang." The bald man in a wheelchair began. "I would like to have a word with you about--"

"About my daughter." Scott finished for him. "I watch TV professor. Please, come in." He said as Rogue took hold of the chair, helping Xavier into the house.

"Scott, who's at the door?" He heard his wife, Peggy, call out as she came downstairs. "What's going... MUTANTS!"

"_Ah think this is gonna go over REAL well." _Rogue sent over to Xavier who sighed.

"Miss Lang, we'd like to speak to you--"

"No, I am not speaking to your kind." Peggy yelled out.

"Dear, calm down." Scott chided gently.

"I will not CALM **DOWN!**" She shouted back. "I will not have this family associating with those genetic freaks!"

"That is rather impossible for you." Xavier said calmly as Peggy stepped over to him.

"And how can you even claim that!?"

"Because your daughter is a mutant."

"... She's WHAT!?"

0---0

"Nice place." James muttered as he looked at the school from across the street, leaning against a fence. "Now, were is blondie? Ah." He let out, the students walking out for lunch as he saw the girl hold a bag as a brunette approached her, shoving her shoulder. "...Oh, here we go." He said, pushing off the fence walking across the street.

0---0

"Hey!" Cassie cried out as she turned on her foot to glare at Lorrie, one of the preppy bullies in the school.

"Shove aside Case." The girl let off as Cassie's eye twitched. "This ain't no place for little girls." She said as nearby students laughed.

0---0

"Well, at least she's standing up for herself." James mused as Cassie pointed a finger back at the girl, yelling back at her, mostly to the amusement of those around her. Even though he couldn't hear her the body language spoke for it's self, this had been building for awhile. Hell it looked like as she kept yelling that she began to look taller.

Then he blinked. That wasn't his imagination. She was growing bigger, hitting the six then seven foot mark in seconds before growing even bigger, not even noticing with her eyes closed during mid-rant in the midst of her rant, her voice being audible now as she past the twenty foot mark, then the thirty and finally stopping at around forty feet. "Now that's a growth spurt..." He admitted as she finished yelling.

"So leave me alone!" She bellowed out, opening her eyes up them looking down at Lorrie, looking horrified below her. Letting out a soft whimper she began to look around her, classmates looking up at her realization had sunk in.

She was a giant.

And a mutant.

The last thought caused her eyes to roll back into her head as her body began to fall backwards, students scrambling away before tables, chairs and anything else unfortunate enough to be in the way was squashed by the oversized body landing upon it.

"...She fainted..." One girl said.

"No DUH!" A guy said as James pulled a cell phone out, dialling a number.

0---0

"She cannot be a mutant..." Peggy ranted as she walked in a circle in the living room. "She cannot be a mutant... Not my baby girl..."

"Ah think we broke her." Rogue quipped as Xavier's phone rang, the man answering it.

"My wife is rather... Anti-mutant..." Scott began. "Very much so in fact, to the point we've been... disagreeing as of late." He added as Xavier talked into the phone.

"There is no way she can be a stinking mutie!" Peggy added one last time, stopping to stare as Xavier as he closed his phone.

"Well if you doubt me then come see her yourself." Xavier said softly. "That was James. Cassandra's powers activated."

0---0

"Well, this sucks..." James mused, one of the teachers hollering for someone to call the MRD as he walked over, past panicking students, even as teachers tried to make them go inside the building.

"Hey you, you should get inside!" He heard on of the adults call out, an older woman, as he bunched his legs up. "No telling what that good for nothing..." She began, cutting off as he leapt up, flipping in the air before landing on the girl's chest. "Oh dear..." He walked over to her left side, kneeling as he set his hand on her skin.

"Heart's still beating, that's good. And I hear breathing." James mused. "I guess she's okay." He mused as a car and Xavier's rental van pulled up. "What took so long!?" He called out as Xavier, Rogue and two other people climbed out, walking (Or wheeling) over to him.

"Is she...?" Scott let out as James knelt.

"She's fine. Just fainted is all." James replied. "Then again if I went from wearing a size, what would a girl like her wear, seven? To a size eighty-six and a half I'd faint too."

"Least she got her clothes to grow too." Rogue mused.

"Modesty super-powers?" James asked.

"That cannot be my Cassandra..." The older woman let off, even as she looked into the girl's face. "This is... some sort of a joke!"

"No joke, lady." James said with a shrug. "Hell I wouldn't joke about this!" He added as Cassie let off a soft groan, her hand moving to her head as she started to sit up.

"Cassie?" Scott said, even as James let off a yelp as he fell down her shirt.

"Dad? I just had a very crazy dream." She said, rubbing her head before looking at the school, and how much smaller it looked. "Wha?" She let out before looking down at her shirt, a pair of legs kicking out, the rest of the body between her cleavage.

"Hey! Someone get me outta here!" James cried out as he tired NOT to fall down the rest of the shirt. Gulping Cassie's head turned to her right, noticing her parents, a man in a wheelchair and a girl with a strip in her hair looking up at her.

"Mommy? Daddy? What's going on?" She asked as the legs went into her shirt just as James pulled himself out of it.

"I like big breasts as much as the next guy, but this is too much." He muttered as he hopped down, ignoring any gasps as he landed on Cassie's thigh, then hopped to the ground.

"What's going on here?" Cassie cried out. "What happened to me?"

"The best explanation is you've gained, through evolution the abilities to change your body mass and size, with the responsibilities and drawbacks therein." Xavier replied. "Or simply put; you're a mutant."

"Oh." Cassie said before blinking twice. "WHAT!?"

"That kinda sums up most people's reaction." Rogue added.

"This is not happening, this is not happening..." Peggy said in an almost sing-song voice.

"...Why does she look like she's about to have a nervous breakdown?" James asked, pointing at Peggy.

"'Cause she might." Rogue replied simply.

"Great..."

"I know!" Peggy said, smacking a fist into her palm. "My baby can just stop being a mutant!" She cried out as everyone, Cassie included stared at her. "...It'll work, right?"

"About as much as I can change your skin colour." James muttered. "Can this day get any worse?" He groaned out.

Just as two jet exhausts sounded as two giant figures landed.

"You just had to ask Jockstrap." Rogue muttered as the two Sentinels walked towards them. "Just. Had. To. Ask."

"Oh shut up." James spat back as he ran forwards, dodging the incoming laser blasts.

"Oh god!" Scott shot back. "Do something!"

"Unfortunately, myself and Rogue have powers ill equipped to fighting machines." Xavier replied. "James is our best option." He added as James leapt up, slamming a foot into the neck of one of the machines. "Unless... Cassandra!" He called out, turning to where the girl was.

"How'd someone so big disappear like that?" Rogue asked as Xavier used his powers to scan the area as James leapt away.

"She's behind the building." Xavier replied. _"Cassandra I need you to listen to me."_

"_What... what is going on!?"_ He heard her reply. _"Wait... I'm not even talking!"_

"_I am speaking with you through the power of telepathy. Listen, we need your help. The Sentinels are here to hunt mutants, us and you."_

"_But... I can't..."_

"_Don't be afraid. Look."_ He sent out as her head peaked out around the building, kneeling down behind it, just as James tore the head for a robot out. _"Some people may wish to destroy us, but we can protect ourselves."_ He added, just as a laser blast slammed into James' back. _"And each other."_

"No... No..." She said, standing up as James slammed into the ground, the Sentinel walking over to him. "No... stop it, stop it..." She cried out before breaking into a run, hand reared back. "STOP IT!" She bellowed out, slamming her hand into the machine's face. "Ow!" She cried out, shaking her hand. "That hurt!"

"See the other guy?" She heard as James got back to his feet, his shirt burned in the back. Turning her head she looked at the Sentinel, it's head caved in just before it fell back onto the ground.

"I... did that?" Cassie asked. "Wow. I mean... Uh..." She began before turning to Xavier. "How do I... get down from here?"

"Just focus on yourself for now." Xavier began. "Your powers are a part of you, but they do not control you. Relax, and take control of them." He advised as the giant girl took deep breaths before slowly shrinking back down to her normal size.

"I... I did it!" She cried out as James back her a pat on the shoulder. "I mean... wow that was SCARY... But totally cool too! Like some sort of super-hero comic!"

"Great..." James let out, looking over his shoulder. "I had fun too... Especially the part where PART OF MY SHIRT BURNED OFF!"

"So... what now?" Cassie asked, turning to Xavier.

"With your parent's permission I would like to enrol you in my school." He began, smiling softly. "It's in Bayville, not too far from New York, so..."

"My daughter... Is a mutant..." Peggy let out. "My daughter is a mutant, my daughter is a mutant..."

"Okay..." Rogue let out as the woman gripped her own hair. "This is conductive."

"You can try your own brand of calming her down." James replied.

"And get a whack-job in mah head, you nuts?"

"Mrs. Lang, please calm down." Xavier began. "My institute is about controlling such powers. Your daughter will be able to come and learn how to use her powers for the benefit of--"

"No! No, no, no!" Peggy cried out, panting as she glared at him. "My daughter is NOT a mutant! She is not!"

"Mommy, please stop..." Cassie said, walking over to her mother, hugging her arm to her. "It's okay. I'm still me, it's okay. We're all okay."

"No... I can't have a mutant daughter..." Peggy muttered, even as Cassie looked up at her. "NO!" She yelled out, shoving her away.

"Hey!" James called back as Cassie was shoved to the ground.

"Peggy, look at what you're doing!" Scott cried out.

"Mrs. Lang, calm down!" Xavier called back as Cassie scrambled to her feet.

"I have no mutant daughter, I have no mutant daughter, I have no--"

"She's lost it." Rogue deadpanned.

"You have to have it to lose it." James quipped back.

"I have no mutant daughter, I have no mutant daughter, I have no--"

"Mommy..." Cassie said, clutching her hands over her heart. "What are you saying?"

"I have no mutant daughter, I have no mutant daughter, I have no..." Peggy let out before turning her head up to the sky. "I HAVE NO DAUGHTER!" She cried out before turning around, stomping away.

"Mommy, please stop!" Cassie called out, running to take her arm. "It's still me Mommy, it's--"

"Shut up mutie!" The woman cried back, slapping the girl's face. "And stay AWAY FROM ME!"

"God damn it Peggy!" Scott called out. "She's our daughter! Our daughter damn it!"

"Mommy..." Cassie sniffled before falling backwards, Scott catching her. "Daddy... Why is... Why is she...?"

"It'll be okay honey. It'll be okay..." Scott said soothingly as the tears began to flow.

0---0

"Welcome to your new home." James said; hand on Cassie's shoulder as he opened her room up. "The Sentinel attack left us a little short on rooms for the moment, so you're rooming with Jubilee and Tabitha for now." He said, setting her bags down by the door. "Anything you need? Tour? Some grub?"

"No, I'm fine..." Cassie muttered, moving to sit down one of the beds. "I just... I dunno."

"Uh, okay look." James said, walking over and sitting down next to her. "I know I'm not Mr. Sensitive, and I ain't a therapist or anything, but you need to... talk about it?"

Silence followed. What would she say? She had been sent to live among people she didn't know, forced to adapt to a power she barely understood, had her own mother turn on her and her father, and was away from her beloved father. What would she say?

Nothing. She merely leaned into him, wrapping her arms about him as she cried. Sighing he returned her hug, rubbing her back softly.

0---0

Cassandra is not my character but another one from Marvel, Stature from Young Avengers.


	14. The Battle of Bayville High

Shout Outs...

Aaron W: Thank you. I thought she'd make an interesting addition.

Kairan1979: Thanks man.

Dusel: Do remember this an X-Men: Evolution version of Stature; there are no Avengers and her father is not Ant-Man in this verse. Nor is there, as of yet, Pym Particles.

The Notorious SMP: Thanks again man.

X00001: "That guy" is probably Dr. Henry 'Hank' Pym, aka the first Ant-Man, aka Giant-Man, aka Goliath, aka Yellowjacket, aka the current Wasp. And the mansion is not rebuilt yet, just in the process of being rebuilt.

wawaboy2: I thought she was a good choice myself.

TWISTED CHEERYS: Thanks man. Lady. Dude. Whatever you are...

0---0

"Gah!" Abigail let out as she sat straight up in her bed. Looking about she saw her (temporary) room and roommates. Idly she wondered how Laura was doing rooming with Amara and Tabitha but put that thought aside to look at her clock, the face reading five o' six. "Ugh... So not getting any more sleep..." She grumbled, getting up and gather her towel and a change of clothes, heading to the shower. Minutes later she re-emerged in a pink t-shirt and blue shorts, wandering the hall until she walked down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Grumbling she fished out some milk and cereal, pouring and mixing them into bowl before getting a spoon and starting to eat, each bite coming slowly. The sounds of wheel on floor noted idly. "Abigail. You're up early." Xavier noted as he wheeled into the kitchen.

"Couldn't sleep..." She muttered holding a spoon full of food.

"I know; it was a bad dream." The professor muttered as he moved over to her. "I could feel it, you were projecting somewhat."

"Having girls like Jean around must give you a lot of sleepless nights."

"The gender ratio in the more... How shall we say, excited dreams are quite even." He said with an amused smile. "I was hoping to talk about yours however. You seemed disturbed by it."

"I'm fine, I..." She said, before sighing, laying her head down on the table. "...My powers suck ass in a fight... I mean, we get attacked and what can I do? What act of significance did I do? I flew Kurt into the house! I couldn't fight back!" Letting off a growl she leaned back into the chair, covering her face with her hands. "My friends, my teammates were fighting for their lives and I COULDN'T DO A THING! I was... I was... helpless..."

"...I can understand that..." Xavier began. "I too was quite useless in that fight. If it was a human attacking I could have made them into a vegetable, made them put on a tutu and dance, or have made them punch themselves out. But against a robotic foe my powers are of no use."

"Professor..." Abigail began, turning to face him. "I..."

"There are times, Abigail, when your powers have no real use. But there are others when people will depend on YOU and your powers. That is why we are here as a team, a family and friends. We can depend on each other; what one cannot do another can. Not all of us need claws like Logan and Laura or physical strength like James or even fireballs like Amara to do our part. You can fly! You can carry others, survey the land."

"...Yeah, I guess." She said, giggling softly. "But I just wanted to, you know, help more."

"And you will I'm sure." Xavier said smiling. "Now eat up. You've a day of school ahead."

"Great. My OTHER nightmare..."

0---0

"I still hate school." Laura let off as she sat in her usual seat with James, Abigail and Victor, Cassie joining them.

"Lots of people do." Abigail sighed as she chewed on a sandwich.

"It's a bit different here." Cassie mused. "A lot smaller than my old school."

"Oh really? What was it like?" Victor asked.

"Well I was always in the middle of the social pecking order, so I got picked on but not as bad as most people." She mused. "Then again my daddy's got a good job and most of the bullies fathers worked under him, so they figured it was just better to leave me alone. Course daddy couldn't do anything to them or their dads for it, but it was something. Then I grew to forty feet..."

"Yeah, that's a cool power." Abigail replied, idly watching Kitty sit under a tree as she ate.

"Maybe, but... now Mommy's pretty much disowned me..."

"Oh yeah..." James sighed. "I remember that. How you holding up?"

"It hurts." Cassie said a sniffle escaping. "But you know; what am I going to do? She hates mutants. I... can't do anything about... I'm just glad my daddy still loves me..."

"Well, you got us now too." Abigail chirped, playfully slapping Cassie's shoulder. "I mean James is a bit of an ass when he's not being two flavours of awesome, and Laura has a temper, and Vic's a dork but... we..." She trailed off as the rest of the table turned to glare at her. "...shutting up..."

"Okay, we're not perfect, including the ones that don't know when to shut up most of the time." James summed up. "But we're here for you."

"That 'friends' thing." Laura added.

"Yeah. Friends." Abigail added.

"Thanks guys, I'm still so new here and you've been so nice to me." Cassie said, smiling as she wiped at her eyes. "I'm... I'm glad." She added as James chuckled.

"Well if your happy, we're--" James trailed off as an explosion sounded, by one of the trees, some debris passing through a phased Kitty as she ran to their table. "...happy?"

"What happened?" Laura barked out as everyone at the table got to their feet, her claws popping out as Kitty stopped by them.

"THAT!" Kitty replied, pointing a hand pointing at a dozen of seven foot robots walking over to them, a helicopter hovering overhead briefly before opening it's doors, another group walking out.

Each was identical and looked much like a knight in full plate armour. It's armour was painted a light purple with darker purple trimmings, a visor sat in the helm above a faceplate. Shoulder armour adjusted to reveal weaponry as they stalked forwards, the copter taking off to hover nearby.

"Is anyone having flashbacks to a couple days ago?" Abigail wondered briefly.

"Abi, up high and scout, see if there are more around!" James barked out before mentally speaking out as 'loud' as he could. _"Professor!"_

"_What is the matter?"_ He heard in reply as Abigail formed a cloud and flew upwards.

"_There are... Mini-Sentinels attacking us at the school!" _He summed up. _"seven feet tall, at least..."_

"Another chopper's coming in!" Abigail called out as James bit back a curse.

"_Four or so dozen! I got my team and Kitty with me, but the others--"_

"_I will tell them, focus on the fight!"_

"Okay guys, here is how we play it!" James called out. "Abi, keep the eye in the sky! Laura, you and Vic take left, me and Kitty take the right and Cassie goes down the middle, super-sized!"

"Simple." Laura replied. "Let's take'em!" She yelled out as the six charged towards the rushing robots, laser cannons opening fire as Cassie grew in size. All the while Abigail sat above the field, squatting on her cloud, sighing.

"I should be down there..." She sighed just as two of the robots tackled James before being thrown off; a third tackling Laura as rockets in it's back ignited.

"WHOA!" She yelled out as it ran for the school.

0---0

"But Mister Bauman, the school's being attacked by robots!" One of the students cried out to the principal as the man crossed his arms.

"Yeah right." He huffed. "And I suppose the mutants are fighting them, huh?" He retorted just before something smashed through the wall, through a row of lockers and into another room. A moment later a tearing sound was heard before a robotic body was kicked back out of the hole, Laura rushing past a moment later and back outside. "... So... robots?"

0---0

"Now these things are more my size!" James said as Laura rushed back into the fray, decapitating one of the robots. Kitty phased the heads off of a few while Victor and James simply smashed them. Cassie, at full height kept stomping at them, only to have them roll out of the way, save an unlucky few. He did note that they seemed to at least try to block and dodge his attacks; as well throw punches back like a boxer. A moment later the mechanical warriors used rockets in their backs and feet to fly backwards, away from Melee range. "What are they doing?" He asked as they lifted their arms, the bracers flipping up to reveal a missile in each arm.

"That's, like, not good." Kitty summed up as Laura's eyes widened.

"The missile models are dumbfire, they don't target!" Laura called out. "If we hit the dirt as they--"

"HIT THE DIRT!" James called out as the robots fired all the missiles, James, Laura and Victor ducking down as Kitty phased herself the barrage passing though her harmlessly while Cassie jumped over the line of missiles that carried on to strike the school building. "Oh god..." He let off as the side of the building began to collapse. "SHIT! Kitty, Vic, the school!" He cried out as a few of the other institute students arrived on the scene. "Laura, Cassie! We gotta end this NOW!" He added as he charged at the robots, Laura and Cassie quickly joining him.

Roberto quickly powered up and began to shift through debris as Abigail flew down. Looking at her hands then the debris she sent cloud-stuff down into the mess of stone, wood and metal, Roberto squawking in surprise, before her clouds lifted the whole mess up, tossing it aside. "Great, now I feel useless..." He whined.

"Nice going Abi!" Kitty cried out. "Rob, Rahne, let's get this stuff moved, see if anyone's trapped. Rouge, take the others and go kick some ass!"

"On it!" Bobby barked back, icing up as he used an ice slide to rush over to the battle, the others following him.

"Hey, I'm supposed to be leadin' ya'all right now!" Rouge cried back as they rushed to join the battle, fire, ice and lightning striking out against the machines while Kitty phased into the wreckage, Abigail using her clouds to shovel debris away as Roberto removed the pieces too heavy for her.

"These things are pretty fast!" Cassie called out as she finally stomped on one; Jubilee's blast smashing another as Sam flew up, slamming his body into a group of the machines on the way back down.

"I noticed!" Amara called back, one robot dodging her searing blast, the attack striking another behind it. The first one ended up moving too close to Laura who deployed a foot claw, slicing it's head with a spinning kick.

"Not to mention the numbers!" Bobby added as he iced a few of them just before James smashed them apart.

"Numbers-shunbers." Rogue barked back, using a dismembered robotic arm as a club to smash another robot, doing little damage but occupying it until Ray could get a clear shot at it. "We're the freaking X-Men!"

"Right!" Tabitha added as a damaged robot charged at her. She prepared to throw a bomb at it just before bricks and other debris was dropped into it, the wreckage finishing it off. "Wha?"

"I got one!" Abigail cheered from overhead before flying back to the ruined school.

"That's one way to take out the trash..." James muttered as he elbowed a robot towards Amara who put her hand on it's head, melting it.

Away from the battle Abigail, Rahne and Roberto kept digging at the debris, Kitty phasing into it, eventually leading someone away.

Almost as suddenly as the attack happened the last robot dropped. Giving themselves a moment to rest the mutants took in their victory before turning to the school to help clear the debris, sirens rushing to them.

0---0

"_Hello and good evening, it's time for the six o' clock news, and our top story. Bayville High School was, apparently, attacked by robots earlier today!"_ A female news reporter belted out on the news channel as video of a ponytailed male appeared in a caption, punching a robot head off. _"Experts believe that these robots are made by none other than Bolivar Trask, creator of the Sentinel series of robots. It is likely they were sent out to destroy the mutant population of the school, however rather than save humans from the mutants the mutants have been saving humans from the robots who launched a massive attack that destroyed the wall of the school._

"_Given that it was lunch hour during the attack not many students were inside the school when the robots, dubbed 'Guardians' by the military, launched a missile barrage that missed the mutants and levelled a portion of the school. Before rescue crews could arrive several known mutants from the Xavier Institute had cleared the wreckage, saving people trapped inside and defeating the robots. Twelve people were taken to hospital, three with serious injuries. Thankfully no one was killed in this event._

"_Graydon Creed, founder and leader of the anti-mutant group 'Friends of Humanity' declared this to be another reason to 'purge' mutants, however some people disagree, which is surprising given the anti-mutant hysteria that's swept the nation."_

"_By son was in the school!" _A man said as the screen switched to him, a caption naming him 'Franklin Gayle: Father of Bayville Student' as he looked at the camera. _"One of the mutants, the cloud girl, pulled him outta the wreck. Now I ain't much for muties, but if someone wants to solve the problem with attacks on schools then I'll stick with the mutants, thank you very much!"_

"_I can't believe this happened!" _A woman said as the view turned to her, a caption reading 'Betty Crockit: Mother of Bayville Student'. _"I mean robots, ROBOTS!? My daughter had to be saved from them by mutants! If Trask thinks he is our 'protector' then I think I'll stick with the mutants! At least they don't blow up schools at random!"_

"_Despite this Graydon Creed has publicly supported the actions of Bolivar Trask, who has been declared a terrorist by US officials." _The news woman added as the view turned to her before turning to a press conference featuring Creed himself.

"_The Friends of Humanity understand that this attack was entirely unnecessary, and was a mistake. I doubt a man that would sacrifice his life, resources and reputation to protect decent humans would intentionally harm an innocent soul. Robotics is, however, a new field of science and the AIs that they use can be prone to bugs, and unexpected errors. We all remember Vista, right?_

"_The government may have called him a terrorist for his making of the Sentinels. And this incident will not help, I will not kid anyone. But I believe in the man and his mission! And I believe that he will save us, the ungrateful, from the dangerous mutants of the Earth! He will overcome his mistakes, and someday when we can all go to bed safe and sound... We will thank him."_

"_Human rights groups, meanwhile, have used what is now called 'The Battle of Bayville High' as proof that not all mutants should be feared." _The news woman continued as the view returned to her. _"They have stated that mutants are humans with unique abilities that can use them for good and evil. That the mutants attending Bayville High School helped save normal humans in spite of the prejudice they have faced. More will be reported on this issue as more news comes in._

"_In other news--"_ The woman began before the television was turned off.

0---0

"This bodes well for us." Xavier began as he turned the TV off, turning to face all of his students and staff, the sounds of construction work still heard in the background. "The brave actions you have done today have put us in a more favourable light. I will not lie; we are still no where ready to be accepted by humanity as a whole. But this is a step in the right direction. A step where what evil we can do has been set aside for the thoughts of what good we can do, a step where people see us as a group seeking acceptance. But it is still not enough.

"People still fear us; hate us, but today the seed of doubt was put into their views. They can see us as something more now. They can see us not as monsters but neighbours. They need only see that view."

"Not that they will." Logan grumbled in his seat.

"No, not yet." Xavier continued. "Some may call me too optimistic, but I am no fool. We have years, decades and a lifetime even of work to be done before acceptance. But it has been done before; African-Americans, the Jews, they have fought and won acceptance. Are they still hated by some for just being what they are? Yes. But they have come so far from those days. If Martin Luther King could see where his people are now he would weep in joy. If I live to see the day where mutants are accepted as such... I too shall weep with as much joy."

0---0

"This does not bode well for us." Trask seethed as he glared at his staff, Clansey behind him as the TV was turned off. "We programmed the Guardians to attack mutants ONLY! How did they hit an entire school?! WHY did they hit an entire school?!"

"I-I-I don't know, but..." One of his workers spoke up.

"But WHAT!?" Trask bellowed.

"I have a theory..." The man meekly replied. "A-a wide scale attack like that, militarily called an 'Alpha Strike'--"

"I'm military; I KNOW what an Alpha Strike is!" Trask barked back. "Unloading everything you have at a single target. What does it have to do with THIS!?"

"Well the Guardians may have selected the tactic from their database." The man continued. "They may have decided to end the battle then and chose an Alpha Strike as the best method. I mean we based the programming off of video game AIs, it's likely that the programming was too primitive to make a batter choice."

"But the Sentinels are programmed the same way!"

"Yes, but there were always fewer of them, and the Guardians do not have the same durability. Because they aren't expected to last as long they are programmed to use their more powerful weapons sooner."

"Uggh!" Trask let off as he gripped his head. "I want the Guardians and Sentinels reprogrammed! I don't care what it takes, how LONG it takes but get it done! We cannot afford another debacle like this!"

0---0

"Hey Kurt, you doing well?" Amanda asked as she walked into his room, the furry mutant lying on his bed, bare-chested save bandages about his ribs and chest.

"I am better." He said with a smile as she sat on the bed. "Before it felt like I was run over by a tank. Now it's only a Volkswagen!"

"Don't joke about it Kurt!" She chastised as she set a hand on his cheek. "I was... When I saw you after the attack... I... God Kurt, you had blood coming out of your mouth! You looked DEAD!"

"I felt like I should have been dead..." Kurt replied, smiling softly. "But I am not, and I'll see to it that God knows how thankful I am for that. Lord knows when you finally bit it you'd let me have it when you caught up to me."

"Kurt..." Amanda said, stroking his face. "I just... I just..." She said, a tear coming out of her eyes. "Just please, don't scare me like that again..."

"I cannot make promises..." Kurt began, sighing softly. "But I hardly want to do that again. Heard I missed another fight though."

"Yeah, I saw it." She replied. "I was hiding near the fence."

"I hear a story coming."

"Well, once upon a time--"

"It's always once upon a time..."


End file.
